Penny's Caregiver Journey: Your Help is Needed

My name is Penny Hale, and I am trying to raise money to pay my bills and keep our home.

I have been a caregiver for my mom and dad for 14 years. After losing my job several years ago, I became the full-time caregiver for them both.

My dad suffered from Alzheimer's, COPD, diabetes, and emphysema. He sadly passed away 3 years ago after we moved in with my sister to help me with taking care of them both, after it became too hard to do it on my own.

My mom has had 3 strokes and suffers from dementia and stage 4 kidney disease. She also has AFIB, CHF, and diabetes. Over the last year, she has been dealing with chronic UTIs, which have needed several hospital stays.

After her last hospital stay and a brief stay in rehab, my sister and I realized that we could no longer provide the level of care she needed. We made the heartbreaking decision to place her in a skilled nursing facility where she would get the attention and care now needed.

With my mom no longer living with us, this left me without any income as I was a paid caregiver through a local program. I used the little 401K I had from my job to help in taking care of my parents and myself over the last years.

Being a full-time caregiver has taken a toll on me mentally and physically. I suffer from anxiety and depression. It is hard to find work at the moment. I have tried to find a job that lets you work from home, but I have had no luck as of yet. I am trying to become a paid caregiver for my older brother, who is unable to walk due to infections in his feet. He is wheelchair bound and unable to work.

But before you can begin to be a paid caregiver, you have to have your name put on a waiver list. They only pick applications once a month, and it can take months before you are picked. It is a lottery. We have been waiting for almost 6 months now.

This waiting leaves me in a very dire spot. My sister is trying very hard to keep her house, not only for herself but for my brother and me to have a place to live as well. With the future of Medicaid and Social Security up in the air, we want to make sure that our mom has a place to come home to if necessary.

I know that money is tight for everyone but if you, or anyone you know, can help we would appreciate it. We just need help to get back on our feet.

Thank you for your time. And blessed be.

Penny Hale