Friend with MS trouble walking

[michael.r]

Hi, I am new to the site. For the last 3 years I have been taking a friend from church for a ride 3 times per week as he had just lost his ability to drive a car. He has always lived alone and does not want to face that his MS is worsening.

Periodically he has trouble walking in his apartment and ends up at the emergency room. Eventually he calls me for a ride home.

He does not work and is a ward of the state of CT. Does anyone have any suggestions short of Nursing home for him as this condition worsens.

thanks,

Mike

[Thinkimjob]

Good fellow for trying to help your friend. Is he in a ground floor apartment? Can the state cover the cost of a live-in carer? If he's a state ward, they have to help, don't they?
A full-time carer would be much more expensive than a nursing home, but a few hours a day could make a big difference.
Does he have a walker? Are there handrails along the walls? Seat in the shower?
Is he willing to accept more help?

[Redwings]

Hi Mike:
You're a good friend! If your friend is a ward of the state, he has a social worker and a doctor somewhere who can review his health and living situation and make recommendations for him, from physical/occupational therapy to transportation to possible part-time in-home care to assisted living.

Your friend might not know that help is available to him from the state. So you'll have to ask him about it and help him to find out what's available. You can contact your state's health and welfare department and get some general information on your own, but privacy laws prevent you from finding anything specific to his case without his permission.

You'll have to also be prepared for the possibility that he doesn't want help, other than to call you for a ride because it's easy to do. He might even accept some help from you, such as buying him a cane or walker, or making some safety improvements around his apartment. You'll have to decide if you want to pay for those things out of your pocket when the state might cover them for him at no cost.

I hope your friend is open to accepting help. It's very hard on friends and family when a person obviously needs help and won't accept it. I wish you both all the best.