My mother (now 87) has lived with me since 2019 after my step dad of 30 years had to go into memory care. They had to sell everything that they own and he later died from covid. Since January of 2024, she has had covid, colon cancer diagnosis, colon cancer surgery, cataract surgery in both eyes, fitting for hearing aids (which she won't wear), broken hip in July (I had left the house for 20 minutes) followed by 2 weeks in hospital, then 3 weeks in skilled nursing, then 3 months in care home (paid for out of pocket). She came home week of Thanksgiving. Since then 3 falls. She has vasal vaga disorder issues so she can get really light headed when on the toilet. The last one five weeks ago she actually fainted in the bathroom at 2 in the morning and she ripped the skin off one arm from wrist to elbow. Four days later she was incoherent and could barely move. Cue ambulance. Acute UTI (she won't bath even with a walk in tub, so duh!). Two weeks in hospital (no real diagnosis other than the UTI) where she got Hospital Acquired Delirium (that was fun), follow by another 3 weeks in Skilled nursing where she broke her foot (even with being noted as a fall risk), followed by another 4 days in the hospital after possible seizure when she got upset that she had to stay one more day to be discharged, and now she is home. She seems to be cognitively OK, but now she can't even readjust her position in the bed or get the bed or TV remote six inches from her. It's a nightmare for me to even try and get her out of bed, so I'm not even trying any more. PT will be coming a few days a week but that doesn't really help. Her SSI is too much to qualify for Medicare for a nursing home. Also complicated because she is also on my house deed because when I moved almost three years ago I did not qualify for the mortgage by myself because my old place had not sold so I was paying two mortgage until the old place sold. I'm in the process of refinancing to remove her, but there is still the five year lookback to worry about. To go back to the care home will now cost twice as much because she can't walk now, and is paid out of pocket, so she will be bankrupt in about a year. I have a lead for home health services to come but they won't come every day and they aren't even able to come for an eval for another six days from now. That is also paid out of pocket, but her SSI is enough to cover it. I'm 69 y/o single male, and I'm not retired but luckily I work mostly from home, but I do have to leave sometimes for hours at a time (I'm a Realtor). I'm afraid that I'm going to hurt myself physically trying to move her. She's only 125 lbs, but that is dead weight. I also have to draw the line at changing and cleaning up my mom's dirty diapers. I just can't do that. I can help her get the diaper over her feet, but that is not always enough. Luckily she has only pooped once since she came home, and that was after I tried to get her off the bed into a wheelchair and she just kind of slid to the floor. I had to keep her there covered up and as comfortable as I could make her because I couldn't pick her up, and PT was scheduled to be here an hour later. She pooped on the floor and the PT person helped clean her up. ugh. I know, TMI. So now I'm afraid to leave home, I'm having to wait on her with food in her bed, she can't turn on the tv, she can't lower her adjustable bed from the sit-up position so she tends to go sideways, which means I have to try an move her physically to keep her from falling off the bed. She constantly says she is pain from her broken foot, and hip surgery (which is completely healed). Her 78 sister lives near by and can help me some, but she is limited as well. I'm in relatively good health (other than stressed to the max), so I don't know what will happen if I get ill. Ooops, gotta run. I can hear that she just dropped something on the floor. Rant over.
I think now it is time to figure out what will work best for her end of life care.
I think it is important to consider her needs, but they are not the real concern at this time. This has now moved to the point where YOU need to decide just what you can manage ongoing.
It seems to me as though this is now in the realm of Hospice, Palliative, and in-facility care where you can return to the role of DD (darling daughter) and leave caregiving, which isn't sustainable without several shifts of several people each at this point.
So the "what now" is to move to some careful discussion, thinking, planning and talking with Mom. You are going to have to be honest that you cannot sustain this level of care yourself at this point.
This is tough. This is another loss. There will be tears. And this is worth grieving. If this isn't, what is?
Enlist clergy, social worker, therapist. Whatever you think may help.
The OP is a 69 yr old male :}
Time to make a hard decision, she needs more help than you can provide. Do what is best for the both of you.
Sorry about this, it is what it is.
Best of luck.