Caregiving

My mother is 89 and recently fractured her hip after a fall.  It is amazing that she survived surgery and rehab. It is amazing that I survived her.  She was understandably scared, depressed, overwhelmed and did not adjust well to her loss of independence.  Fortunately she was eventually willing to keep working on her rehabilitation exercises with encouragement.  She was in two different rehabs and had a couple of visits to her apartment. I visited her at least every other day for months and was exhausted with continuing to be her support system.  I assisted when she returned to her apartment.  She had caregivers but I was involved with all decision-making, her insurance paperwork, updating reports for family and communication with agencies involved with her care.  I is difficult to imagine being responsible for someone else 24 hours a day.  It is a thankless, unpaid position that has very good and very difficult moments from day to day.  I have learned to be more compassionate, more patient, more caring, and more aware of my own eventual need to have caregivers.  I hope that I will appreciate any caregivers that I need to take care of me in the future.  I hope I will not be too demanding and will be a better patient because I have experience as a caregiver.  For all caregivers--I appreciate everything that you do!