Hi everyone. I'm here to reach out. As most of you know, my mother was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) on August 4th of 2014. Her symptoms had been highly suggestive toward a degenerative brain disease for quite a few years prior to the diagnosis. My father and I had a gut feeling that we knew what it may be.
My father, my family and myself had experienced the long road of Alzheimer's with my father's late mother. All of my mother's symptoms were almost perfectly mimicking those of my grandmother's. This was an unsettling realization.
After a year of obvious mental degradation in my mother, an MRI had been scheduled for her. The doctors saw a few things that they wanted to keep an eye on and we were sent on our way to wait a full year for a follow up appointment. A year later after her follow up PET scan and a meeting with her neurologist, it was pointed out that there had been further degradation; specifically in her frontal lobe. This was the main and most important indicator of FTD. Her symptoms matched and the location of her brain that had been degrading fit FTD by the book.
We had our diagnosis and to know what was happening to my mother was a relief. Unfortunately at that point, the only thing to do was to just- keep going. The world doesn't stop.
My father had just retired from his career as a Biomedical Engineer for Kaiser for the last 30+ years of his life and this was not the way he had envisioned his retirement. My father had been supporting the household until I was able to work and provide for myself. This being said, he was (and currently is) the only income my mother and father have. My parents are making due with my father's retirement funds but, it is not enough for the help we need for my mother.
We have applied for social security for my mother. This GoFundMe is to help my father with the finances that will be needed to get a caregiver for my mom a couple of times during the week. Getting a caregiver for her will allow my mother to have extra support in her daily activities (ie: taking her to certain doctor's appointments, going for walks with her, helping her with her phsycial therapy, being an extra hand around the house, etc). This will also alleviate my dad from the constant responsibility of being my mother's full time caregiver.
She has gone through the mental and physical exams to recieve her social security benefits however, getting approved for social security benefits (even when it's something so obvious as a case like my moms), can take up to 6 months.
It would mean EVERYTHING to me to be able to help my dad financially in helping to provide at least half of the funds necessary for getting a caregiver for my mom. I have done research on costs for private caregivers (because my mother has no coverage for an agency). We would need someone maybe 3 times a week for a couple of hours a day.
Type Average Annual
Nursing home: semi-private room $214/day $78,110
Nursing home: private room $239/day $87,235
Assisted living $3,477/month $41,724
Home care: home health aide $21/hour $21,840
Home care: homemaker $19/hour $19,760
Adult day services $70/day $18,200
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/01/151472617/discovering-the-true-cost-of-at-home-caregiving
I am hoping to raise enough money to help pay for at least half of the cost for up to 6 months of pay for a caregiver. These numbers are average costs.
This would mean EVERYTHING to me to be able to do this not just for my mom but, for my dad too. My parents are my land and sea, my moon and sun. They have done nothing but support me in all of my endeavors and it is now my turn to help them.
We are at the point in this journey where my mother can no longer be left alone. Finding the means to provide help for her when my dad or myself are unable to would mean the world to me and to my whole family.
Please do not feel obligated to donate. I know alot of you share your emotional support and that's all I could ever ask for.
Should you donate, please know that ANY AMOUNT will be greatly appreciated and will help so significantly.
With every fiber of my being, I thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story.
Thank you so much for all of your support and all of your love.
Love always,
Rachael Light
My father, my family and myself had experienced the long road of Alzheimer's with my father's late mother. All of my mother's symptoms were almost perfectly mimicking those of my grandmother's. This was an unsettling realization.
After a year of obvious mental degradation in my mother, an MRI had been scheduled for her. The doctors saw a few things that they wanted to keep an eye on and we were sent on our way to wait a full year for a follow up appointment. A year later after her follow up PET scan and a meeting with her neurologist, it was pointed out that there had been further degradation; specifically in her frontal lobe. This was the main and most important indicator of FTD. Her symptoms matched and the location of her brain that had been degrading fit FTD by the book.
We had our diagnosis and to know what was happening to my mother was a relief. Unfortunately at that point, the only thing to do was to just- keep going. The world doesn't stop.
My father had just retired from his career as a Biomedical Engineer for Kaiser for the last 30+ years of his life and this was not the way he had envisioned his retirement. My father had been supporting the household until I was able to work and provide for myself. This being said, he was (and currently is) the only income my mother and father have. My parents are making due with my father's retirement funds but, it is not enough for the help we need for my mother.
We have applied for social security for my mother. This GoFundMe is to help my father with the finances that will be needed to get a caregiver for my mom a couple of times during the week. Getting a caregiver for her will allow my mother to have extra support in her daily activities (ie: taking her to certain doctor's appointments, going for walks with her, helping her with her phsycial therapy, being an extra hand around the house, etc). This will also alleviate my dad from the constant responsibility of being my mother's full time caregiver.
She has gone through the mental and physical exams to recieve her social security benefits however, getting approved for social security benefits (even when it's something so obvious as a case like my moms), can take up to 6 months.
It would mean EVERYTHING to me to be able to help my dad financially in helping to provide at least half of the funds necessary for getting a caregiver for my mom. I have done research on costs for private caregivers (because my mother has no coverage for an agency). We would need someone maybe 3 times a week for a couple of hours a day.
Type Average Annual
Nursing home: semi-private room $214/day $78,110
Nursing home: private room $239/day $87,235
Assisted living $3,477/month $41,724
Home care: home health aide $21/hour $21,840
Home care: homemaker $19/hour $19,760
Adult day services $70/day $18,200
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/01/151472617/discovering-the-true-cost-of-at-home-caregiving
I am hoping to raise enough money to help pay for at least half of the cost for up to 6 months of pay for a caregiver. These numbers are average costs.
This would mean EVERYTHING to me to be able to do this not just for my mom but, for my dad too. My parents are my land and sea, my moon and sun. They have done nothing but support me in all of my endeavors and it is now my turn to help them.
We are at the point in this journey where my mother can no longer be left alone. Finding the means to provide help for her when my dad or myself are unable to would mean the world to me and to my whole family.
Please do not feel obligated to donate. I know alot of you share your emotional support and that's all I could ever ask for.
Should you donate, please know that ANY AMOUNT will be greatly appreciated and will help so significantly.
With every fiber of my being, I thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story.
Thank you so much for all of your support and all of your love.
Love always,
Rachael Light