My sister mostly has been the one to take Mom to her doctor appointments. Carol knows it's important for her to be in the room so that she can hear and ask questions and understand what the doctor wants Mom to do and to learn the things that are important.
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In one conversation with her doctor, we were thinking that if the doctor told her she needed help then she would be OK with it. Well Carol was with her in Dr. Chittamanini's office, we call her Dr. C for short. Carol said "Dr. Chittamaninini, does my Mom need care at home?" And Dr. C said to Mom, "Grace, " Mom's name is Grace, "Grace," she said, "you need care at home."

"What?" Mom said to the Dr. "I can't hear you." Well we all know that when you are standing right in front of Mom, that she can hear you. "

"Grace," said Dr. C again, "You need care at home."

Carol said, "Mom did you hear her? What did she say,"

Mom said, "I need to use a cane at home."

Carol and Dr. C rolled their eyes and Carol was so exasperated she said later she could have exploded right there in the Dr.'s office.Later Mom said to Carol, "Oh they tell that to everyone, I'm fine I have my kids to take care of me." 

"You have to laugh," Carol says, "otherwise you would cry."

One habit Mom got into more recently was calling 800. When Mom got a letter with an 800 number she would call there and talk to them. It could be about health care or insurance or any number of things. She would call the 800 number and then talk to them and I can only imagine the conversation. Then when they asked for her phone number to follow up, she would give them Carol's number. They would call Carol. Carol said she has all these 800 numbers in her cell phone from people Mom called who called Carol back. I can only imagine the conversation, "Who are you," Carol asks. 

Do you have a story about your aging parent? As I post these stories about the process we are undergoing perhaps you have your own stories about your parents.