Our family is vegetarian and we eat little to no dairy products.
Dad has lost his short term memory and doesn’t hear very well anymore. He is still able to shuffle around the house using a walker. He can perform 60% to 80% of his “Activities of Daily Living”, but needs constant supervision and verbal prompting, usually for each step in the process. He will often state “I’m confused,” or “I don’t understand” in response to instructions.
He spends most of his time sitting with his eyes shut, appearing to be 'zoned out' listening to music or napping. He feeds himself and has a good appetite, but can't keep his eyes open during the meal; they are closed between each bite. He is incontinent of bladder; and his bowel incontinence is slowly getting worse, currently about 2 times a week.
Mom is a tiny person with osteoporosis, weighing about 90 pounds. She is frail, fearful of falling, and needs 100% assistance with all transfers and ADLs. She walks with a walker, but I usually have to gently pull it to get her to move around the house. She is more alert than Dad, but she has expressive aphasia and possibly receptive aphasia, so she rarely talks, and we don't know how much she understands when we give directions or ask questions. She often doesn't respond in any way to directions or questions. But in general, we think she is alert and aware of what is going on and being said in the home. At meal time she has to be fed every bite, but, like Dad, she has a good appetite. She is incontinent of bladder, and sometimes of bowel.
Job Duties (do not require very high experience level, just compassion, patience and a love for serving):
Get them out of bed between 6:30-7:00 am, take them to the toilet on a schedule, dress them, give them their fluids and supplements.
Prepare our vegetarian meals (we eat twice a day, about 9 o’clock for breakfast and 3 o’clock for dinner), get them to the dining room to eat, serve Dad his food, feed Mom her food.
Help with keeping the house organized, neat and clean.
Be patient when communicating with Mom.
Speak loudly and patiently when communicating with Dad due to confusion and loss of hearing.
Assist both of them with brushing teeth. Mom needs her teeth brushed for her; dad needs to be timed for two minutes and reminded throughout how many seconds it has been and how many more to go.
As needed, change incontinence briefs and clean up or shower after bowel accidents.
Wash dishes, clean the bathrooms, keep the house organized and tidy, assist with their exercises, take them to the toilet every 60 to 90 minutes, make sure they get their daily naps, etc.
Put them to bed between 6:30-7:00 pm.
Occasionally, I may need help with the overnight shift, which I normally staff, as follows. I always sleep in the same room with them, take Mom to the toilet approximately two to four times, and monitor Dad’s brief one to two times during the night. I also stay groggily semi-aware of Dad’s movements in case he falls during the night on his multiple trips to the toilet.