I have been through the mill trying to get help for myself and caring for my wife through every source I can think of, and I have come up empty-handed. The new healthcare facility, located one and a half miles away, is convenient, and the staff are fine, but this system, like all the previous ones, has not found a way to provide help in my home, allowing me to care for my wife.
I can pay $40/hour, but I can not do that for long.
I am a veteran, eight years older than my wife. I can get help, but at 77, I am still able to live independently, take care of the house and home, and my wife. The small IRAs we have, less than $20,000, keep us unqualified for supplemental help. I am trying to keep as much of it as I can for emergencies.
She is either in a wheelchair or on the sofa bed. I need to feed her now, or she will let the dog eat the food.
Some people do not understand how I can claim to be lonely. ADA prevents my wife from having meaningful interaction with me.
The most upsetting thing people have asked me is, "So what do you do for fun?" I am polite and keep the profane response in my mind - give a sheepish grin and change the subject.
My acrylic sketch is called "long shadows".
