Question for US members about legal support for getting home if disabling stroke occurs after TAVar or SAVR

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Truth. And 24/7 home care requires hiring 5 people. If you simply can’t get to the bathroom unassisted — 24/7 care. In-home care beyond a little homemaking is an extreme luxury item. Using family caregivers is rough too — both my FIL and BIL had heart attacks from trying to care for my MIL 24/7. It’s very eye opening to go through.

My mother had Multiple Sclerosis and my father did all her care. She was mostly immobile. She could sit in a wheelchair for an hour without it wiping her out for the rest of the day, but going out to meals left her exhausted. He lifted her in and out of bed, in and out of the wheelchair. Luckily his health was/is excellent, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. He did have home help, a woman who came in and did laundry and would wash my mom's hair when she came in, but he did basically everything. I understand that for some that is too much. My mom passed two years ago and my father is remarried to a younger woman (he is in his 70s and I think she is just under 70, LOL). He's going a bit crazy with travel and doing fun stuff. He had to forego a lot of that for a long time and he deserves this. Most people would look at my dad and think he's in his 50's. Hopefully I got more of his genes for remaining healthy into my older years.

It probably has something to do with the illness the person has. While my mom wasn't all there mentally at the end, she got a bit confused at times, for most of the years he cared for her she was completely lucid, just unable to do most things. I can imagine caring for someone with Alzheimer's could be a lot tougher, especially emotionally.
 
I can imagine caring for someone with Alzheimer's could be a lot tougher, especially emotionally.
agreed ... and putting my mother into care was logically the best thing to have done (as I could not hold down a job and care for her anywhere near as well as a rostered shift of tag team professionals.

Having said that I would always feel a bit guilty, but know that I couldn't have done it without being wound up by her.
 
agreed ... and putting my mother into care was logically the best thing to have done (as I could not hold down a job and care for her anywhere near as well as a rostered shift of tag team professionals.

Having said that I would always feel a bit guilty, but know that I couldn't have done it without being wound up by her.
Alzheimer's is a monster unto itself. To have everything that you are slowly eaten away..... It is a nightmare.
 
Why do I need a psychiatric advance directive? I don't have a mental health issue and don't show any signs of Alzheimer's? I am not about to get committed to a psychiatric facility, I am about to have heart surgery.
Because you should go ahead and get it while you're getting the others. They're all good until you say they're not. If you don't have it if you ever need it, your family will have to go to court to get guardianship or you will become a ward of the state.
 
And the 6th one that most people don't know about is a Psychiatric Advance Directive.
This varies between states in the USA. In my state of Iowa the "Medical Power of Attorney" covers Psychiatric care. But other states apparently require a separate signed form for psychiatric care.

Information for the USA is at
https://nrc-pad.org/
and other websites.
 
I know we've gone a bit off topic and this isn't a mental health forum, but the following states have established a Psychiatric Advanced Directive statute:

Arizona
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oregon
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
Tennessee
Wyoming
Indiana
New Jersey

Even in those states that don't have the statute, it's good to have one or similar paperwork if you have specific wishes as these go into more detail than the MPOA. Most people think they'll never need it because, "I'm not bipolar, schizophrenic, cognitively impaired...." The problem is you may be the last person to realize you need it and by then it's too late. My mom started showing signs of Alzheimer's in her mid-60s, possible triggered by several years of moderate to severe depression when her marriage of 40 years ended. We thought she was in denial until years down the road when we heard about anosognosia, which basically means an inability to understand what is happening. It's hard to admit you're forgetting things if you don't remember what you're forgetting. It was a 16-year journey, with the last 3-4 years begins absolutely miserable for her and us. We knew my mother's wishes because she'd made them clear before the journey downhill accelerated, and I've done the same with my husband and children, but also have the required paperwork in a safe place. In short, if I get to the point where I'm unable to care for myself, either due to physical or cognitive issues, put me in long-term or memory care. I don't want my family spending their lives changing my diaper or spoon feeding me.
 
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