Home Care for Penny Lane

We need help now. Please read the full story below. I have also included a list of specific needs. Thank you so much for taking the time to show compassion and care for my parents in this immense time of need.

UPDATE: My father passed away in his sleep on June 29th. It was unexpected despite his current health. We truly thought he'd be better again and even expected he'd drive his beloved 62' Corvette and live with Mom again.

The other update is that my mom underwent surgery in May to correct the cause of sepsis. She has gotten so much better and had no further sepsis relapses and we praise God for it!

Below is the orginal story. We have increased the campaign goal because paying for the funeral wiped out all of Mom's (and ours) reserve money and she will now also lose part of her SS income. We have had some great help come through but we are still trying to patch together the best care for her.

Over thirty years ago Mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has battled it every step of the way and maintained the most independent lifestyle possible. In recent years the disease has made her homebound. Due to a very advanced assisted living power chair she has been able to be out of bed and do small things around the house and even maintained an online writing business. She's always been a fighter and a doer. 

My father was always her care-giver. Doctors would marvel at his level of care and dedication.  However, in August of 2016 he underwent a quintuple bi-pass surgery due to ongoing health issues he had battled since 2014 and became no longer able to provide any care for my mother. Mom applied for assistance in Fall 2016 to be cared for in the home so she and dad could live together once he was healed. In April they will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. 

On January 7, 2017 mom fell into a coma due to septic shock from an untreated urinary tract infection. Meanwhile, her application for assistance sat in a pile of paperwork at an Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) location. While mom battled for her life, Dad had complications from his surgery and diabetes and ended up with a leg amputation on February 4th and remains in a skilled nursing rehabiliation center. They do expect him to come home and he progresses every day.  DHS approved and then took away mom's care during the time she was in the hospital. Now that she is home, we must wait on the paperwork to be pushed from location to location and once it gets approved it's not likely to enough for the current situation.  It has been ten days since her evaluation and there is no resolution. 

Insurance and Medicare would not allow mom to stay in the skilled nursing rehabiliation center to heal completely. According to them she has met her "baseline" which is a long way from where she was before the coma. Because of this she needs many hours of care while she continues to heal at home. I have been staying with her but I must return home. (I live 13 hours away in Ohio.) She will get better but she needs time to regain her strength. I have seen her improve since I've been here which is promising and I am thankful but she still needs help. She does have physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy set up in her home right now, so I'm confident she will reach her old level of independence.  Update: She is almost there thanks to the surgery.

Expenses and Other Needs

Here is a list of things my parents need or the ways that any funds raised would be spent.

In-home care is roughly $18 an hour. We are trying to cover 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for the next five weeks.  This will be where the bulk of any funds raised will be spent. 

Mom's wheelchair is also broken. Medicare won't pay to fix it because it's too old and Medicare won't pay for a new one because she hasn't had that chair long enough. Expenses to fix my mother's chair are $1,300 and have already been spent but recouping this cost could help in many other areas most of which I listed below.  Even so, it is likely to break again before August when Medicare will help cover 80% of the cost of a new one. Update: Chair keeps breaking but we've kept it going with donations. Thank you! The process for a new one takes 3-6 months so I anticipate we will still be fixing this one for a while.

Mom's wheelchair accessible van is broken. I am not sure what is wrong or what the cost to fix would be. Ideally, we would love to get her a rear loading mini-van style that is easy for anyone to drive, including my dad once he's adjusted to the prosthetic.

Bills. Bills. Bills. With both Mom and Dad unable to make a little side money their bills have become overwhelming the past 18 months. Now couple that with the massive medical bills and they are sinking fast. 

Groceries. While in the hospital the electricty was shut off and all of Mom and Dad's food from the freezer spoiled. We are having to start from nothing and build up meals and food sources for them. 

Broken furnace. Not sure what's wrong or how much it will cost to fix. Could be the thermostat or the blower motor. Update: 

Leaking toilet. Not sure what's wrong or how much it will cost to fix. Update: Fixed with donation money. Thank you!

New garbage disposal and installation. This will really help with anyone who has to care for my mother. Update: Fixed with donation money. Thank you!

Prayers. Both my parents need prayers for continued healing. They also need prayers for hope. 

Visits. Dad would love company while he heals. He doesn't like to visit long, so I promise it wouldn't be much of a commitment. Mom would love them, too. I know she would enjoy someone to study the Bible with. 

Here is a picture of Mom and Day in May 2016. They traveled all the way to Texas for their grandson's wedding and both are working hard to do that again in September when another marries.  -