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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Help for my mum?

3 replies

Limongrass · 07/04/2022 16:05

My mum is 60 and works full time.
She lives a 3 hour drive away from me and my wider family. My grandfather's health is deteriorating and I have young children of my own and also work full time so can't do a lot to help him. Juggling my own household is hard enough with an unsupportive husband. My mum is at the verge of burn out as she has to keep travelling back to stay with him when he's unwell. Her husband is also in poor health so she cares for him too when she's at home.

When she visits, we don't get a lot of time with her when she's having to clean my grandfather's house, shop for him and care for him. Her brothers (my uncles) live close by but do nothing for him. It's all on my mum's shoulders. My grandfather refuses to move into a care facility because he feels close to my late grandmother there.

My mum's health is clearly suffering as a result of all this pressure. She loves her job, but is finding it difficult to juggle everything and is constantly exhausted. Her husband (although has poor health) relies on her too much and could definitely do much more to help her! I don't think she's particularly happy in her marriage to him but she seems reluctant to leave him.

I've asked her to consider moving back to our town, living with my grandfather for a short time until she's sorted her finances etc as she's torn between two places but she refuses to change her job and wants to stick it out until she retires, which means staying where she is.

She is however at the cusp of burnout and cried to me on the phone yesterday. When she does travel home to care for my grandfather when needed, she often tries to juggle working virtually at the same time to avoid taking any time off work. She can't continue like this.

What would you advise? I'm getting quite worried about her.

OP posts:
DatingDinosaur · 07/04/2022 18:45

Would your grandfather be open to the idea of a carer or “home help” as we call ours!?

An elderly relative of mine has a carer once a day in the morning to help with ablutions and getting dressed (due to mobility problems). We (rest of family) have a rota for shopping and cleaning. We (family) all stagger our “visit days” so in real terms there’s one of us there every day to “keep an eye on things”. The reality for each of us individually is a couple or three hours a week. But crucially, it doesn’t all fall to one person.

Could you have an “all family” get together to agree a task list and schedule for essentials and raise the possibility of getting a carer and/or cleaner? Additionally, her brothers might pull their weight a bit more if they have a “task” to do.

Our set up is: Carer in the morning. Mum and aunty a couple of times a week during the day for shopping and cleaning. Me and a cousin (who work full time and live furthest away) a couple of evenings a week to cook a “proper” evening meal (plate up a second portion to be frozen/microwaved).

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 07/04/2022 18:53

What exactly is your mum doing for him? And is he aware how much work this is for her?

If he’s able to make decisions for himself then start treating him like an adult and tell him the truth. Is he capable of understanding the consequences of his decision to stay living where he is?

Presumably he’s getting Attendance Allowance (if he needs this much care?). He can pay for a cleaner/home help, and someone can do an online shop for him. Lots of stuff can be done online or by phone - prescriptions can be delivered etc.

no way should your mum have to give up a job she loves and move in with him to make caring for him easier!

She should also make sure she’s registered with his GP as his carer.

Limongrass · 07/04/2022 21:26

He has carers 3x a day who go in to cook his meals and they shower him twice a week. He did have a cleaner but they cancelled her as she wasn't very good. My mum isnt proactive enough to get on top of things and call in another cleaner. Planning ahead unfortunately isn't one of her strengths.

My uncles say that my grandfather didnt do enough for them in their yoinger years so are refusing to help him. Something about him turfing them out in their late teens leaving them with nowhere to live. I think other things- he had an affair which they never forgave him for.

I think an honest discussion with him about how all of this affects my mum could well be the way forward.

OP posts:
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