Matthew 22: 37 Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38
This is the first and great commandment. 39
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
My dad is much more than just a neighbor, but as he started declining, I had to remind myself of this. God didn't just want me to be there to support my dad when the going was good. I had to be the support God needed of me even when my dad wasn't cooperative.
That's still the case, especially as he loses more and more of his independence. I think there's a strong correlation between that and his willingness to accept support/help. Before Dad could leave the hospital, the social worker asked where dad was going to go when he was discharged. Of course, I chimed in and said that my dad was going home with me, but dad said nothing, which isn't really unlike my dad. He's often quiet and lets others talk while he takes it all in.
Later, a physical therapist came in and told us that she thinks we weren't making the best move for my dad and that he should go to a skilled nursing facility where he would get more physical therapy sessions that he would get with home health services at my house. After she left, I asked my dad if he wanted to come home with me or if he preferred to go to a skilled nursing facility. He wouldn't say a thing. I asked him thirty different ways and lots of tears later for about an hour, explaining that I didn't want to be making all the decisions in his life and wanted to know what he wanted, but he would never respond.
When I requested the social worker come back to help with this, he finally said he wanted to go home with us, but that was after about another half an hour of the social worker asking him as well as me. Although it was frustrating, I have to remember that so much of his self-worth is tied into his independence and he was having a difficult time with this. It was after many prayers and tears, that this was revealed to me. I'm so glad God is by my side when I'm befuddled. Matthew 22: 37 Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38
This is the first and great commandment. 39
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.
I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.
These Are Other Blogs I Felt Led to Write:
Video: How to Transfer a Patient from a Bed to a Wheelchair: Physical Therapy Tips
By: ehowhealth, Alice Holland via You Tube
