I'm the only one taking care of my husband right now, but I'm worried if I get sick or have an accident. We don't have kids and our families live far away. I feel like I need a backup plan but don't know where to start.
My husband has MS and I worry about this too. I wrote everything down - his doctors schedule meds routines etc. Put it all in a red folder by the front door. Also made friends with his nurses and they said theyd help in emergency. Not perfect but helps me sleep better. Such a hard situation tho
Been there. Finally broke down and talked to a social worker about it. They helped me find some backup care options and put together an emergency plan. Still scary but at least I have something written down now. Took me forever to make that call but glad I did
No answers really but I get this fear. Its scary being the only one. What helped me was making friends with other caregivers in my area through church. We kind of look out for each other now
I worry about this ALL THE TIME! Had a close call last month when I got really sick with flu. Ended up calling my neighbor crying at midnight bc I couldn't take care of my wife. Now she has my spare key and knows the basics of what to do. Maybe start with finding 1 person nearby who can help in emergency?
I totally get where you're coming from. It's scary to think about it. What I did was set up a care plan with my hubby's doctor and social worker. We wrote down all his needs, meds, and routines, and kept copies with a few trusted friends. I also looked into respite care services in our area - they can step in for short-term help if needed. And don't be afraid to have those tough conversations with family, even if they're far away. Sometimes people step up when you least expect it.