Summer with Grannie!!

My blog this week is real life. My mother-in-law is coming to live with us for the summer. I have been getting the house ready all weekend. To make this blog easy, I will refer to my mother-in-law as Grannie. We got Grannie's wheel chair, tub bench, and cane out from storage. I re-arranged the kitchen and her room so it will be easier for her to get around. She can bear some weight and walk up and down stairs but she stays in her w/c most of the time. I have a small house. Let's just say we are going to all be on top of each other, and by the end of the summer I am usually going crazy. It has gotten easier with time and making small changes. I started thinking about my situation and thought about what if it was permanent? Children move in or live with aging parents all the time. This can be a great option for families to avoid SNF & ALF. I found a great web site for families in this situation. The site aims to be an on-line support group. I found it interesting to find out that 75 to 80% of families provide long term care for seniors. The web site has some excellent ideas on how to prepare the house and tips for long term living situations with an older parent or parents. One idea from the site was to make sure the bathroom can be unlocked from the outside. I have never thought of this before, but it makes since. If there is an emergency, you want to make sure someone can get in to help. So, my life for the next two months will change, some positive, some negative. I look forward to having her, but also look forward to when she goes back home!!