We are starting in-home care today. It will be only a few hours, one afternoon a week. It seemed that it was the right time to make the move so that I could back off a bit on some of the work I am doing and so that my husband could have a new person to interact with on a regular basis. We talked about it and spoke with friends who were already doing it. We worked together to make a plan and a list of things that this person could do that would be helpful. We found a local agency that had capacity and completed the intake. Now comes the hardest part, actually allowing someone else in.

My husband has a difficult time asking me for help so I am concerned that he won’t want a stranger helping him either. We have discussed this and he assures me that it will work, we’ll see. I struggle letting go of control and trusting that someone else will be able to do my tasks correctly. I am reminding myself that it’s time to give some of it up and that whatever they do, however they do it, I will appreciate their assistance. I need to remember that this change is as much for me to have extra time as it is for my husband to have someone who has been properly trained to care for him.  

My husband’s Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis brings with it a regular schedule with lots of structure. That doesn’t mean that we have to remain stuck in patterns that are no longer working effectively. Making changes like having in-home care are big and should not be taken lightly but with proper planning and collaboration, we can manage them. It has been a struggle and we both have had to work through some difficult emotions but I know it will be worth it in the long run. It’s just another sideroad in the journey we share as life continues on.