Helping My Mother

Hi, my name is John.  The lovely lady in the picture is my mother Janette.  She’s had a hard time the last few years and needs some help.  
I’d like to give you a little background to her life so you understand her a little better.  
Janette has lead a colorful and interesting life.  She worked as a model during her high school years and was Miss Miami Maid in 1951.  She and my father married in the mid 1950s and she played the role of a traditional wife and mother for quite some time.  In the early 1970s  When my father exited the picture my mother was left with four children to raise on her own.  Though times were difficult she found a way to overcome the obstacles and worked very hard to make things as good as possible for all of us.  Working multiple jobs she finished her college degree and built a successful career as a wedding photographer.  In fact during much of that time she was the only woman wedding photographer in Central Florida.  After leaving the photgraphy business she worked as a compensatory education teacher for a number of years until the state phased the position out. She eventually ended up as a partner in a restaurant where she worked for about ten years.  

She retired a little sooner than she was expecting due to the onset of a neurological problem (Dystonia) in her early sixties.  For those unfamiliar with dystonia it is one of a group of disorders known as movement disorders. Parkinson’s being the most well known of the group. There is no cure or treatment.  The early retirement created a situation in which she had less money than she expected to have.  Still she found a way to overcome the obstacles and managed to carve out a decent life for herself. The neurological problem has continued to grow in intensity through the years and has gradually diminished her ability to do for herself.  Thankfully she has no serious medical issues beyond the neurological problem other than an accompanying anxiety disorder. 
Three years ago she reached the point where I had to step in and take a more managerial role in her life. 

The scenario in which this happened was along these lines.  Three years ago I went through a divorce and decided to relocate to Orlando as my mothers situation was also taking a bad turn at that same time.  I walked into a situation that was difficult on many levels.
 
There had been a series of events in close succession that created a number of difficulties. 

First her family doctor whom she had known for twenty plus years passed away.  This can be a traumatic event for many older people as it leaves them without access to a person who has a long term understanding of them. 

Shortly after this, a man who had been renting a room in her house became difficult and tried to attack her with a 2x4.  Fortunatly, a friend was visiting at the time who stepped in front of the attack and took the blow.  Otherwise she would have died in this type of attack. 

Shortly after that, she unfortunately fell victim to a grandma scam.  The end result is the desctruction of her credit.  My mother has worked hard all of their life and maintained good credit.  That it could all taken away by the depraved longings of a vile individual remains an emotional blow to my mothers spirit. 

Not very long after this while in the process of trying to set herself up with a new family doctor some miscommunication and misunderstanding happened and she ended up getting Baker Acted.  It would be overly lengthy for me to try to explain why this was an uneccessary action. Suffice it  to say this event was very emotionally traumatic for her. 

The above issues are the situation I stepped into late in 2015.  I also found that there were a number of repairs needed on her house.  Major issues include roofing, plumbing , flooring issues and painting, along with a number of minor issues with the house that need to be resolved.

I've taken a number of steps to bring order and stability into her life. The most important of which are connecting her to a great family doctor and taking over all the daily routines of household living.   

I've made great progress in improving the house but will need assistance to bring it up to full standard.  
‘My mother no longer has the resources to overcome the obstacles on her own and needs some help to navigate the last legs of her life journey. 
Moms fondest wish is to remain in her own home until as close to the end of her life as possible.  I expect her to live another two to four years.  Everything I am doing for her is for the singular goal of helping her remain in the home she has known for the last forty plus years. 
We are fortunate that mom does not currently require any specialized care though it will inevitably be a factor in the future. 
What I am seeking assistance for breaks down into two main areas.

First, is to make a series of major repairs on the house - roof(priority), plumbing, flooring issues, kitchen, painting, landscaping are the major ones.  This will make the home be at its normal standard and allow us to receive full value if the need to sell ever arose. 

Second, is for the elimination of a long list of minor issues in the house and yard.


while I know this is a great deal of money I also know that many hands make light work.  
If you are not able to contribute you can help me spread the word about  this need.  

Thanks for sharing.