My mom and dad were married for 65 years and when he passed, I truly believed I would lose both my parents and my mind. My mom went through depression and confusion and was plagued with so many health issues that I had to reorganize her care and learn and manage her ailments. I realized that no one cared about the gap that opened when elders could not get help with their medical care during COVID and if I wanted my mom to live, now more than ever, I had to take the lead and ensure her health needs were met. My dad and my mom’s health issues escalated during COVID, and no one was answering the phones. My dad passed at the tail end when the world was regrouping. I became executor of my father’s estate and caregiver for my mom. Fortunately, my brother helps me. This faithful servant took care of my dad during hospice. He lives with mom and cooks and clean and transport her to her appts and he ensures her insulin and other medication is picked up and taken timely. He handles the heavy lifting and I take care of the administrative end, the arrangements, the coordination, appts, research, discussions with Medicare and the insurance provider, the cardiologist, the endocrinologist and all the other (8) specialists, the surgeries and post operative care, the medicine lists and dosage, the financial planning, the homeowner property deed, the utilities, automobiles, homeowners’ insurance, social security, her banking, her bills, etc… etc.

My brother is illiterate, and he too is disabled. He has a lot of common sense but little reading. Before he learned to drive at 60 years old, I had to take mom to all of her appts, lots of miles from my house to hers. I had to locate a driving class for my brother that was sensitive to his needs and able to provide special accommodations for him. I want to summarize my experience, but I can’t, so I will continue. So much happened so fast that I did not have time to grieve the passing of my dad. There are so many facets to what I had to learn before and after my dad died. On top of working and taking care of my own family, I believe now I am sane enough to share what I have learned and am still learning from my experience from eldercare, to Medicare, to hospice. I even had to surrender my dog of 15years at that time because I could not care for him, my dad and my mom as I was on the road constantly and getting home late at night did not do him any justice in feeding him and letting him out to use the bathroom. He was old and he often could not wait and by the time I got home…. well, you know… It was terrible and I could see he was devastated.

I believe Erins Ageless-Essentials can help people with questions and challenges surrounding taking care of the health needs of elderly disabled parents or relatives and help navigate questions surrounding insurances, sub-acute care, health issues, home nursing, equipment needs, ADA, senior assistance with prescription costs, doctor visits, advanced directives, power of attorney, pets, etc., etc… There is so much involved in taking care of other people’s lives. There is quite a bit of time and energy required to support multiple families to include your family needs as well, concurrently. It can be overwhelming and exhausting and often, lots of tears. I believe this website will cover solutions that manage the needs and challenges of the person(s) needing care and the caregiver(s), while providing them the answers they need to care and love through the pain. I am retired and I am a caregiver for my elderly disabled mom.