Page 10 - Growing Old Without a Plan for Long Term Care is not for Sissies_Neat

ii Growing Old Without a Plan for Long Term Care is not for Sissies Smiling into the Sunset Our family is slowly coming to accept that my father has entered into the sunset of his life. A farmer, he lived much of his life chasing each sunrise and trying to hold off the sunset just a bit longer to get his work done. It’s hard to imagine that before long there will be one fnal sunset which will overtake him. Dad, like millions of others across the globe, suffers from Par- kinson’s disease. His battle with Parkinson’s has taken a heavy toll. The man I see now; the one trying to wait patiently—often unsuccessfully—for someone to come to help him get out of his chair or to hold him steady as he walks bears little resemblance to the father of my youth. That man had strong muscles and a steady gait. He might be found high in the air, clinging to a ladder with just his feet while leaning over and using both hands to patch a roof or tighten a bolt. He could walk across bean felds for hours on end attempting to remove every last weed. He could control sophisticated farm machinery while simultaneously talking on the walkie-talkie and listening to the latest farm news on the radio. Dad’s days of ladder climbing or even walking unassisted are gone and he fnds using the remote control for the television or dialing a phone number challenging. Today my father needs help with the basic activities of life that most of us perform each day without thinking. This disease with the innocuous sounding name has robbed his mind of its ability to quickly and easily communi- cate with his body. Each movement requires conscious effort. His muscles have become weak, his sense of balance has abandoned him and it is impossible for him to take more than a step or two without help.