Sometime during the past year, I mentioned my having to get up with Kate during the night. At that time, I was speculating (as I often do) about the future and whether I would feel my greatest need for in-home care would be at night rather than during the day. Fortunately, she hasn’t gotten up at night since then. I wish I could say the same for myself. At the moment, I plan to continue the same schedule of in-home care that I currently have had since starting a year and nine months ago. That involves two different sitters. One comes on Mondays so that I can go to Rotary, the Y, an occasional meeting, and run errands. The other comes on Wednesdays and Fridays. Those are also days for the Y. In addition, I use them to meet friends, run errands, and occasionally take my laptop and/or iPad to Starbucks or Whole Foods to check email or work on my blog.
This schedule has worked out well for me. I still don’t feel the need to add any additional time, but that may be coming. I have just accepted membership on another United Way committee. That makes two. I have also been asked to participate on a panel at a conference sponsored by a chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in Nashville the last of August. In that case, I will take Kate along with me. The conference sponsors are going to provide someone to help with Kate at lunch and during the panel session. I may explore other such opportunities locally. Unless engagements like that occur during a time I currently have a sitter, I will need to arrange for someone to be with Kate.
I feel good knowing that our long-term care insurance cover 8 hours a day. (I originally thought it was 12.) I am a long way from needing that amount of time, but as Kate declines I realize that could change any time. I feel a sense of security knowing that my commitment to move to a local continuing care retirement community in a year and a half opens other options for me. We are now considered members of the community and can eat there (at our own cost), use the exercise facilities, and attend events. It also includes access to their adult day care program, assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care should we need them.
So at the moment, I feel I am well-covered with respect for Kate’s care. That’s a good feeling.
