I have a sister who is in her early 50s who since 20 has been diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia. She was perfectly fine since in childhood and became ill in college. Me and my senior mom are caregivers but it is wreaking the most horrific havoc on our lives. We have gone to Nami, we have tried to reach out to various agencies in florida, we have gone to the courts, we have had her in and out of assisted living residential who have kicked her out, called 911 so many times is as if now they take their time when showing up,,,we have run out of options. We desperately need to get her help and into treatment but have no idea who to reach out to who will not ignore us and help us help her. She has more physical ailments arising because she is a chain smoker, a diabetic with high blood pressure who doesn't take her medications properly. it has been physically and emotionally draining to live day in and day out with her waiting for the next outburst or crisis. Especially for my mother who should be living her golden years in peace and has to live with the emotional Rollercoaster of anger, fear and depression because of my sister. There has to be a solution some how to get assistance, but how and where when we have tried so many avenues to only find there is no where else to go to seek assistance.
Hi, Distraughtsis -
Thanks so much for sharing a bit about your current caregiving situation. Perhaps reaching out to the Caregiver Help Desk might be helpful? The folks at the Help Desk are great at connecting you with resources in your area of Florida. You can reach out to them via phone by calling the toll free number (855)227-3640. You can also reach them via chat by hitting the orange "Help Desk" button. you see on your botton right of the screen.Their hour are Monday through Friday, 8AM to 7PM Eastern but you can leave a message if you reach out outsude their hours.
If you haven't checked it out yet, I would also suggest taking a look at our Blueprint for Families of Loved Ones with Mental Health Issues.It has guides around helping with medications, talking to your loved one's doctors and navigating HIPAA.
I hope I have been to help. Please feel free ti reach out if I can be of further assistance.
Nichole
Thank you for your reply, I will reach out the help desk.
Thank you for your reply, I will reach out the help desk.
I have a sister living in Georgia and I live out of state. I need help in getting her in a nursing home in Georgia. Who should I contact for assistance?
Hello, I am looking for somewhere that does house calls in Littleton,Co. My dad is 72 and falls down daily. I am several states away and my family in Colorado visits him but they are so upset they feel they have exhausted themselves trying to figure it all out. He needs a medical professional to look at his condition in his home. I am trying to figure out the best way I can help being so far away but this all new to me and my siblings. Thanks for any advice.
Hello,
I am a 60 year-old caregiver of my 28 year-old non-binary son (Noah) who was recently diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. It has taken five years to finally figure out what I believe is the correct diagnosis, and almost two years to finally figure out the proper meds. Anyway, I have been dating my boyfriend for almost 9 years. We both have our own houses and I usually stay overnight at his house every Saturday night and he comes to my house 2-3 times a week for dinner with myself and Noah. We also go out for dinner a few times a week to see each other. I sent him a letter in the summer telling him that I am tired of living two lives... one as his girlfriend and one as Noah's caretaker and I can't keep living like this because I am exhausted and always feel like I'm running. We used to talk about getting a house together, and at one time, he was taking me to see houses he liked. Once I finally got up the nerve to talk to him about my letter, he told me he will not live with Noah, and he is not spending the next 20 years paying for him and taking care of him. I was devastated! I have talked to family about my situation and some tell me I'm enabling Noah, and other's say I should put him in a group home. Having him move into a group home isn't even an option until his social security disability gets approved (We have been working on that for almost two years). I just don't know what to do and I feel like I have no one to talk to. I'm almost at the point of giving up.... Any support would be so appreciated!!!! Thank you :)