I helped my Mom move out of her apartment...So I've been busy this week.
Just to bring anyone, who may not know, up to speed. My Dad passed in 2016. My Mom struggled a bit after her spouse of 70 yrs was gone...But she persevered. Then about 18 months ago, she fell and broke her hip and shoulder socket. After lots of therapy in a nursing home/rehab, she was able to return to her apartment about a year ago. While she had trouble doing many things, including driving, she persevered.
Now the story.
During this last year, My Uncle (Mom's Brother) and my aunt and myself would visit Mom every other weekend...it's a long drive (3 hours one way), otherwise we would have visited more often. It was about May, this year, when she decided it was time to think about assisted living. My uncle suggested that she move in with them. She wasn't sure if that was the best thing...we all had discussions about this, all summer long.
There was a practice visit, with my Mom staying with them. Mostly it went well, but my Mom, who always disliked traveling, didn't like the long drive to my Uncles house, then only to return home to her apartment a couple days later. More discussions occurred. She was on the waiting list to a assisted living place in Glencoe, they call whenever there is an opening (about once every couple months). There were always discussions after those calls.
Well, about 6 weeks ago, a decision was made, she would move into my uncles house on Oct 5th. The two visits in Sept included packing up some stuff and bring it to my uncles house. The big move came on the 5th, all went well. But there was still a lot of stuff to deal with, My whole family are packrats (myself included). We boxed up many things for donation...as well as most of her furniture. A church/charity organization was to pick everything yesterday, I was to coordinate. They only took half of the boxes, but did take all the furniture. I had to scramble yesterday to giveaway, recycle, and fill the apartment building's dumpster...I will likely have to pay for a unscheduled trash pickup? The giveaway part was a blessing and a strange story for another time (thank you "Marbles").
Anyway, I sure did a lot of driving...I didn't mind the clean out and clean up of the apartment, but it sure is a lot more taxing when those days are scattered and include 6 hours of car travel...thank God it was only a few days. Late in the day, yesterday, we had a successful walk through with the apartment manager (except for a unknown mold stain in the carpet that was under a chair/recliner). They will have to replace the carpet, I hope my Mom doesn't have to pay for that? But the move is now history, and Mom lives is much closer to me, so I can visit more often. So far she is comfortable with the move and is enjoying living with my Uncle and Aunt.