It’s been a while since I’ve needed to use a baby monitor in my son’s room, but I keep it on because his bedroom is just across the hall from mom’s bedroom and having the monitor on allows me to hear at night if either needs me.
I first began using a baby monitor several years after my mother had a nasty fall while visiting relatives. Her recovery required a nursing home stay and months of physical therapy before she could return to our house, which had a divided floor plan. I used the baby monitor so I could hear her during the night if she was having any distress or needed my help going to the bathroom.
One particular night instead of a hearing uncontrolled coughing or my name being called, I awoke to the sound of bumps coming from the vicinity of her room. I soon realized that the noise was the sound of her walker banging against the hallway walls as she made her way to the bathroom. I couldn’t help but smile because it was the first time she had been able to stand and go to the bathroom without human assistance since her accident. It was the best scary bump in the night sound I ever heard.
I'm a working wife and mom who takes care of an aging parent. Only I began doing it full-time, in my home, when I was in my mid-thirties, single and about to make a career change. Thirteen years later, mom is still living with me and I expect it to be that way until one of us leaves this earth. It hasn't always been easy managing her care. (I've helped my mother recover from surgery, and a major injury that required a nursing home stay, as well as the death of my younger brother after a long illness.) But caring for her has been worth it because I know that my assistance means she enjoys a better quality of life as she ages. I hope the experiences and information that I share will help you manage,with grace, the changes that take place in your life as you assume the responsibility of being your parent's caregiver. If you have a question you think I can answer, please contact me at Cynthia@motherskeeper.com
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