[imcarthur]

A long, long story so I will just hit the highlights. We have just gone through a bout of 'emergency' parental care. Both my parents are gone but my wife's are 93 & 87. For the past 7 years they lived in an in law apt at my wife's sister's rural house. They financed the renos & paid $1000 + for rent per month. It had been a needed income stream for my SIL & her husband but they essentially kicked them out this summer. My MIL was hospitalized at the end of July but the stay turned into 2 months of temporary hospice care when my SIL refused to let her come home. This meant that this couple were separated for the first time since 1949. They have survived war, escape from a Communist country, emigration, forced servitude, a devastating house fire, another relocation etc etc. With the incredibly long wait times for a gov't assisted home, we took them in at the end of Sept & reunited them until we could get them into a home. Since our house is not elderly-friendly, we rearranged it. We ditched our living room & turned it into a bedroom. We fitted a bathroom with the needed stuff. We arranged daily visits from personal support workers. We regulated meal times & I cooked nothing but 'old-people friendly' food for months. Our house turned into a Hungarian village as their English skills diminished. He has increasing dementia & she has severe rheumatoid arthritis. They were a handful. After 5 weeks, we got him into an acceptable home. She went into the same home - same room in early January. They are finally permanently reunited.

Was it easy? No. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. We have a debt to pay to our parents when they turn into children & need us.

Btw my wife was the true warrior here & she fought daily with the gov't etc to make it all work with next to no help from her 2 siblings.

Ian