I'm an only child caring for an elderly mother with moderate dementia. It's a very tough road to go alone and I have many times had friends ask what they can do to help. I have never felt comfortable accepting their offers of help; it always just seemed like too much to ask of non-family. Recently, a good friend pressed me several times on the issue and mentioned her work schedule was changing and that she would be free in the afternoons and what could she do to help, etc. I have been struggling with the need to have someone meet my mom when she gets transported home from day care 2 days a week, just to get her in the house and settled, and thought I had found my solution. The time commitment would literally be 20 minutes twice a week. When I proposed it to my friend, and even said I would compensate her for her time and adjust my mom's schedule to fit hers, she hesitated and said she would "think about it." Knowing her, I can tell the issue won't come up again. It took a lot for me to ask for this help (which she knows) and I'm frustrated and hurt that this was her reaction. I would rather that she had never made an offer at all as it now seems so hollow. Has anyone else had this type of experience with non-family members offering help and then backing outt? I realize that there is no obligation here, but what she did seems very callous and I'm having a hard time moving beyond it. Am I overreacting?
Corinne
Give a hug
I tend to laugh when someone says "oh any time you need a hand..." yes, I'll ring you at 3am when d'mother is stomping around the house shouting at her hallucinatory 'visitors'.
Oh that's right, they didn't give me their number, so I can't phone them anyways!