Why am I doing this?

My drive to be a caretaker for my Grandma does not come from a place of sacrifice but a hope to share one of life’s most important transitions. I do not want to miss out on a moment with this woman who has been so incredibly important in my life. As fate would have it, I am in a place in my life that I can be with her at this time.

I believe in life there are certain people that find each other because they are kindred spirits. Some people find this person in their spouse, or in a best friend but I found this companion in my Grandmother. We share a special bond that I have with no one else and I am lucky to have experienced it. She has always been the person I spoke with when I needed help, guidance or encouragement. My hope is to help give back some of the wonderful things that she has given me when I needed them. She is sick and she needs help and I WANT to help her.

I am lucky to have a job where I can take a leave of absence and still return to my position with out any career based penalties. I plan to take an intermittent leave of absence, this means I can take off whatever time I need and can return to work whenever possible (3 weeks off, 1 week on etc). My Principal and Superintendent have been supportive and understanding of my choice. My apartment lease is up on September 30^th and I have yet to find another apartment that fits my needs. I have no ties or loose ends here that would inhibit me moving to another location. The city, my friends and my life will still be there when this trying time is over. I do not consider moving to Washington a sacrifice, but an opportunity to add another layer to my life.

When my Grandma goes home she is going to need a significant amount of care to live in her own house. Hospice and home nurses are wonderful, but often unforeseen problems can create havoc for the patient. Nurses may call and cancel at the last minute or simply not show up when they are scheduled to be there. From my experience as an in-home service worker, I have seen how difficult it can be to get adequate, consistent, quality help in the home. Driving, scheduling doctors appointments, grocery shopping, laundry and cooking will all be tasks that Grandma will need assistance with when she returns home and I am well equipped do help her in these day-to-day tasks. She needs someone in her home consistently to help make life easier.

I know that everyone in my family is willing to help out and assist Grandma in anyway they can. As a live in caretaker, I would be in her home most of the time but I fully expect that my family members will come and relieve me so I can go back to the suburbs when need be. I realize the only way this process will be successful is if it is a team effort. I am lucky that my best friend Dain lives in the area. I know he will be a wonderful support system for me while living in here.

This decision is not one that I made lightly. I have thought about what is best for me and what I believe is best for my Grandma. In 20 years, it wont matter if I bought an overpriced apartment in the fall or in the spring or if I went to some hole in the wall bar in Lincoln Park to drink with my friends, those are not regrets that truly matter. If I cannot take this opportunity to help her, I feel it is a regret I would carry with me forever. My Grandma is what truly matters to me and being with her at this time is what I want to do.