by Janet Blaylock

Created on: March 17, 2009   Last Updated: April 12, 2010

When you make the decision to care for an elderly parent, you are taking on a huge responsibility. In my situation, I was my dad's caregiver, but since I am single and lost my house, I had to move home with my parents.

I was devastated at the time, but I realized my purpose for having to move back home. I developed some health problems at first, and then my mother became terminally ill with cancer. I became her caregiver until she passed away.

In April 2002, my father became seriously ill. I called an ambulance, and they took him to the hospital. I came to the hospital as soon as I could after the ambulance left. I stayed with him at the hospital most of the night. They told me he was severely dehydrated, and they almost lost him in emergency before I got there, but he survived. I was glad about that because I did not want to lose my dad. It was difficult enough losing my mother.

They transferred him to a private room and began immediate care. Even though I wanted to stay there the whole night, my father wanted me to go home and take care of the dogs. He loved my dogs, and they knew him as Grandpa and my mother as Grandma. I decided to go home in the middle of the night to take care of the dogs, but I got up early the next morning and drove to the hospital, so I could spend time with my dad and help him during his stay.

When they released him from the hospital, they transferred him to Rehab, so he could learn to walk again. I continued to stay with him most of the day because I felt responsible for my father.

Within a few weeks, he was up walking and doing better. A month later, they discharged him. He came home, so I could take care of him. I wanted to be with my father, and he wanted to come home and be with my dogs and me.

I loved my father and wanted to be his caregiver like I was for my mother. He continued to gain his strength and was doing better, so I went back to being a substitute teacher in the fall.

In December 2002, my father had a major stroke. He was in the hospital for a few days and back in Rehab for a month. I stopped working as a substitute teacher, so I could be with my dad in the hospital. I wanted to spend time with him because I did not know how much longer I would have with him, and I was his caregiver. I also wanted to make sure he received the right kind of care in the hospital.

He survived the stroke again and could walk better, but he had to come home in a wheel chair. A physical therapist worked with my dad at the house a few days

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