I’m pondering this after receiving an email from my Mom which said that she was having pain in her lumbar spine and knee and she had trouble walking. After seeing an orthopedic surgeon last month and undergoing X-rays, she learned that she is developing osteoporosis and was prescribed calcium and Fosamax. She had already miraculously survived a bout with colon cancer three years ago and we are eternally grateful for that. How can I and my brother help her when she starts to have problems taking of herself? I live in another country and it’s no longer practical for her to go through the process of moving here. My brother lives in another city with his family, mother in law, and grandmother in law, so my Mom probably won’t have a place there either. I haven’t asked my brother’s opinion yet but it might be time to discuss what options we have in the face of inevitability. My father is deceased so my Mom has been living alone for at least 10 years now. She lives in a small apartment and is pretty independent. There are no assisted living facilities that I’m aware of in the city where she lives, but then again I haven’t been there in a long time so there may be similar facilities that may be able to assist her with her needs when the time comes. If those facilities exist, how much does it cost to live there including nursing and medical care? Will it be more practical to hire a live-in helper if it’s available? With so many things to consider, it may now be time to discuss such possibilities with my Mom and brother. It saddens me.
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