My husband and I talked about what we needed to do in order maximize the potential of Dad's success in a trip to see his cousins. We knew we would need to bring some oxygen in case Dad might need it, from our experience of Dad getting short of breath during our practice run.
Also, hotel beds are usually pretty high and Dad's used to having a hospital bed in the Veteran's Home that goes up and down. When we had taken Dad on previous trips, my husband and I have lifted Dad up onto the bed, but I have a bad back and herniated disks in my neck.
My husband and I discussed a plan and looked on Google Maps and tried to pace it out. We figured that if we stayed over night at a local hotel and picked Dad up first thing in the morning, we could drive all day to get to the state where his cousins live and meet with them. In doing this, we could get by with only spending one night in a hotel. That meant that we only had to lift Dad into the hotel bed one night instead of the usual two to three times. We were please and thought this was doable.
We packed Dad's clothes the night before our trip. We made the arrangements to get the oxygen, get his meds the next morning. We met with his cousins and he had a great time! I'm so glad that we had the oxygen. He needed the oxygen almost every time he got back into the car for a while until he got stabilized. We were all very happy that taking trips with Dad were still possible with some adjustments. Yeah!!! I have been very blessed to have all this extra time with my Dad!
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:
Caregiving Video: #21.5 Special Needs and Accidents: Elderly Home Safety (5 of 5)
By: Mary Alexander, Home Instead Senior Care, Caregiver Stress via You Tube
