Elder care and care giver roles

One of the issues when you are a care giver of the elderly is you find your own world changes even with the natural rewards of taking care of someone's needs that need you. One thing I catch in myself after a month in RMC is working to keep up with the weather outside that room, the day of the week and every morning I start out telling Mom what day, time, and day of the week it is to help her. I find myself now speaking more loudly than normal after trying to ensure she can hear and I catch myself when tired I repeat statements and phrases after trying to be advocate and translator for her for hours. Part of care giving with a 92 year old Mom with a bad ear and poor eyesight, is keeping her goal oriented for the future, part of her own healing efforts, keeping her focused on goals like eating when you have no appetite, and feeling a participate in her own healing. I also find the nurses must talk to each other around Mom and she is hearing what they say about other patients and it goes in her internal tape recorder to replay for me each morning of the night's adventures. I find myself trying to keep oriented for things like how to get her to eat after having nausea an hour before I get there by 7 am to help feed breakfast. I go back at lunch and supper to try and get her to eat and drink more at each meal and to keep a check on things. Medicare's 21 days in transitory care started last Monday so this is the 7th day and physical therapy is working to get her able to feed herself, get to a chair, and in and out of the hospital bed with air mattress on her own. I helped the nurses with wound change out and care this weekend learning how to help and freeing the nurse assistant to take care of a new patient nearby who needs a lot more help. Mom watches CNN to keep up with things and I read the Messenger to her. Your world shrinks to a certain environment. Getting off to MCC for Tai Chi, going to see Belle our horse and loving on her a little with a treat, or reading helps get me some mental relief and I try and work out at the Fitness Formula for my knee still which helps.