Help Liana and Miriam help their dad out
Donation protected
Gaston (our dad) is 91. He recently had his first inpatient hospital stay of his old age, for pneumonia. Although he recovered well physically and his dementia is not much worse than it's been recently, he needs a higher level of care. After a difficult and expensive few weeks we have found him somewhere clean, friendly and safe to get assisted living care. We are going to help him pay monthly but, with his savings exhausted and a limit on how much we can each afford, we are stressed about affording the actual move. He must pay for the next month of independent living, even if we can move him immediately. We also will need to pay other expenses to get him to his new place.
A little about what you are paying for:
- Save Miriam's thumbs! Right now she's trying to apply for every possible assistance program at once to figure out money for this transition. If Miriam can do just 30 percent less Gaston-related admin on her phone and computer her fingers might come back from their current state of perpetual numbness. In addition she is getting a little weird, as she tries to solve several hard logistical, bureaucratic and interpersonal challenges at once to give her dad better quality of life. She is maybe forgetting how to have conversations that don't involve her saying "D as in David, E, S as in Sam, H, A as in apple, R, N as in Nancy, A as in apple, I, S as in Sam" at least three times. She will still most likely need to work on these things, but if she slows her roll it'll be so, so good for her hands and social skills.
- Save Liana's bank balance! Liana has been very generous in her financial support of Gaston, paying for his daily med reminders and other home care for the last year. But now her husband's truck has cruelly turned on her, refusing to truck, just as funds are low from paying for extra care. She also paid an extra 1k this month for Gaston's medical expenses. She has had enormous stress because she was the one physically there for Gaston's delirious time in the hospital, which was NOT FUN. We won't talk about the ways it was not fun, but it was a lot. Then she got sick from being at the hospital (thankfully recovered). Basically she just needs things to be a titch less difficult and expensive.
- See Gaston somewhere nice. Some people receiving this are friends of Gaston himself. Where he is now has been offering diminishing returns and certain challenges for guests and loved ones. Where he is heading is sunny, super clean, offers nice meals and is not a bummer to visit. When Liana visited an actual senior was playing an actual piano and the place was just genuinely pleasant. It has almost universally positive Google Maps reviews, with the only two less than glowing reviews seemingly being from people who've never been there and don't have family there. For an assisted living this is rare! It's also closer to Liana and has activities, in house medical care, events and services. We know it'll be a big transition but we are hopeful this new home will bring more care, pleasure, safety and nourishment to our sweet old dad.
Small donations welcome. Thank you for considering!
Organizer
Miriam DesHarnais
Organizer
Baltimore, MD