Caregiving Story

Jerry Carter, that was his name. He wasn't the best father, but he was mine and I loved him more than life. So, when he suffered a closed head injury in a job related accident my world was turned upside down. His wife at the time decided he needed to be put in an institution. Without a thought and without even asking my husband at the time, he came to live with us. He couldn't remember when he last ate, was cold when it was 80 degrees and insisted on covering with a blanket at night ( I had to remove the electric blanket from the house). There were times when he would become agressive, cussed excessively, strip down naked, and even wet the floor. He was injured in 1995 and passed in late 2003 ,at home with me providing for his care (with the assistance of hospice care). In the beginning, to see him go through the changes hurt so bad. After a while, I learned to laugh at some of the crazy things he would say and do. He laughed too!! By no means was he the same man but he was still my Daddy and I thank God for the time he gave me with him. Almost 10 years if caregiving with a lot of heartache, a lot of things learned, a lot of things taught (to my children), and a lot of memories. Would I do it again? No doubt!! There are some things I would do differenty now that I have gone through this caregiving experience but I know I would never let him be alone.