Newbie here, no RV, but have serious situation. need advice

[Caroline5]

I don't even know where to begin. I live in the Seattle area and my 89 year old mother lives up in Winnipeg in Central Canada. Yesterday she broke her leg when she was hit by a car while crossing at a crosswalk in a store parking lot. The driver was totally at fault as he was looking for a parking spot and not paying attention to where he was going.
I am thinking that the best thing for her and her German Shepherd would be to bring them down here while she mends. She no longer wants to fly and can not sit very long in a car, so I am wondering if renting and RV would be a good option for transporting her as comfortably as possible. I have course have no idea how much that would cost, how comfortable it would be for her to ride in an RV or anything else. Please help me, as I want to get as much information as possible before I present the idea to her in more detail. Or if there is anyone driving out this way that could transport her in a month or so please let me know. My mom is a wonderful woman, very much loved and very intelligent.
It isn't as if I didn't have enough on my plate for this summer, with prom coming up for one daughter, a new grandson up in Edmonton for another and the third daughter getting married in August. Plus a home business to run and various other responsibilities. My mother can't stay in her home because it is an old 2 story with a long steep flight of stairs going up to the second floor and no bathroom on the main floor. Staying at my sister's isn't an option either. She is afraid that she may have to give up her dog who gives her life so much meaning and who was one of the top German Shepherds in obedience in Canada.

[2gypsies1]

It's been a month and a half since the first post. I assume you found a way to deal with the problem by now. Let us know.

[Joyce_in_NY]

I would love to know how you solved the problem! How is your mom doing?

[Harvey51]

Look ahead, not back. Discuss with doctor and hospital social worker, who can work through a large range of assisted care facilities. My mom had kidney failure in her mid eighties and the social worker in Edmonton University hospital got her a place at a government lodge near the dialysis center closest to her home town in the north. She was happy there and made friends. Very modest cost, easily covered by her pensions. After a year a miracle happened and she could live without dialysis so she went home where my dad looked after her for several years until she had a big stroke. It's one thing after another in the nineties. Then she went into government long term care, same cost, and a year later transferred to the new LTC in my town. By that time her mind had gone the way of her body and she thought she was in a boarding school. Died at age 90.

We are now looking after MIL in our home and one of us has to be home with her all the time. We had a year or so where she could get in and out of the RV, which was pretty good. But no more. The motorhome sits idle.

[pianotuna]

Install the chair lift to the 2nd floor.

Laying in the rear bed of my class C is not a terribly comfortable experience. I find it impossible to read a book, for example.

A class B may ride better.

[Caroline5]

DrewE wrote:
I see you've gotten a lot of good advice and information, but oddly not a lot answering the specific question (about difficulty traveling in a motorhome).

While it would probably be more comfortable than a car, a motorhome is generally not at all ideal for an incapacitated elderly person. The entry to most motorhomes involves a fairly narrow door and several relatively steep steps, and the interior is often rather tight, precluding navigation with a whelechair or walker. The toilets are often lower to the floor than normal residential toilets, with little room to maneuver around them.

A class C motorhome is not going to give an exceptionally smooth ride, though of course a lot depends on how rough the roads are. A diesel pusher with air suspension would be a nicer ride...but finding one to rent might be a big challenge.

That's not to suggest that it would be an impossible plan, only that in my opinion not as easy as it might seem at first. I think taking the train would be a lot simpler and more comfortable and have better facilities for a disabled person. Even a large sedan with lots of back seat space would in my opinion likely be more practical.

[DrewE]

I see you've gotten a lot of good advice and information, but oddly not a lot answering the specific question (about difficulty traveling in a motorhome).

While it would probably be more comfortable than a car, a motorhome is generally not at all ideal for an incapacitated elderly person. The entry to most motorhomes involves a fairly narrow door and several relatively steep steps, and the interior is often rather tight, precluding navigation with a whelechair or walker. The toilets are often lower to the floor than normal residential toilets, with little room to maneuver around them.

A class C motorhome is not going to give an exceptionally smooth ride, though of course a lot depends on how rough the roads are. A diesel pusher with air suspension would be a nicer ride...but finding one to rent might be a big challenge.

That's not to suggest that it would be an impossible plan, only that in my opinion not as easy as it might seem at first. I think taking the train would be a lot simpler and more comfortable and have better facilities for a disabled person. Even a large sedan with lots of back seat space would in my opinion likely be more practical.

[Caroline5]

fla-gypsy wrote:
This is a difficult position you find yourself in. Avoiding assisted living is not going to be easy. With that type of injury mobility is an overriding problem that is difficult to overcome. My mother is also that age and only lives 2 miles from me and I think I would still consider assisted living in those circumstances. I know that's not what you wanted to hear but you can't let emotion cloud what is already a difficult problem to overcome.

I posted my response with wrong quote. Sorry

[Caroline5]

Sorry I keep posting message in wrong quote.

[Caroline5]

fla-gypsy wrote:
This is a difficult position you find yourself in. Avoiding assisted living is not going to be easy. With that type of injury mobility is an overriding problem that is difficult to overcome. My mother is also that age and only lives 2 miles from me and I think I would still consider assisted living in those circumstances. I know that's not what you wanted to hear but you can't let emotion cloud what is already a difficult problem to overcome.

Lol, taken away from her and she might even be faced with giving up her dog. She flipped out and got angry with me.
Last fall while I was visiting I took her to look at an assisted living community and they welcomed the dog with open arms. She

[Caroline5]

Caroline5 wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:
What about a stair lift?

We would have to see how much room is required on the second floor as the landing there is tiny, about 3.5 x 3.5.

Lol, no, that isn't what my mother wants to hear. I sat down with her 10 years ago and tried to talk with her about selling the house and moving into a one story home or assisted living. I warned her that the day may come when she will fall, break her leg and the choice will be taken away from her and she might even be faced with giving up her dog. She flipped out and got angry with me.
Last fall while I was visiting I took her to look at an assisted living community and they welcomed the dog with open arms. She chose not to move because she didn't want to have to take her outside several times a day to go potty. That time again she got upset with me when I expressed my concern about the stairs.
So now here we are, the choice has been made for her and she is afraid of loosing her dog. I am doing my best to figure out what the best option is now.
There are some things I can put on the backburner for a while, but there are others, like spending time with my first grand child and helping my daughter plan her wedding I can't.

[Caroline5]

Joyce in NY wrote:
By the way, please keep in mind that traveling that distance to come to your home will be very difficult. Every little jostle to her body will hurt her leg and interfere with healing.

Please keep in mind that I posted here because I am gathering information so that we can have options and make an informed decision.
I'm not against going up there, I dropped everything twice before, the first time I flew over to England for a month to care for my 69 year old aunt who was dying of brain cancer, leaving husband at home with 7 kids ranging from age 18 - age 3. The second time to NYC to take care of my 80 year old dad who was undergoing cancer treatment. The problem this time is that I won't be able to go for as long as she needs me as I already need to fly to Edmonton to help my daughter after she delivers her baby. After that I've got a little over a month and a half to finish preparations for my middle daughter's wedding.

[Homer1]

Many of the Canadians I know have to purchase additional insurance when they are here for the winter. Their rates for treatment are far cheaper than what our institutions will accept.

[Caroline5]

Homer wrote:
I would put her in assisted living and bring the dog home with you. The poster on the insurance problem is right on, and this is not time to test the water on that. There are many other consequential matters to consider here as well as her daily mobility.

Assisted living WITH dog would be the best option. The dog is already a St Johns Ambulance certified therapy dog. A dog walker would need to be arranged to take her out to go potty.
How do snowbirds handle medical insurance issues?

[Joyce_in_NY]

By the way, please keep in mind that traveling that distance to come to your home will be very difficult. Every little jostle to her body will hurt her leg and interfere with healing.