“You won’t be alone, Mom.” — I said quietly in the hospital room after all seven of my siblings finished explaining why they couldn’t take her home.

When the doctor finished speaking, no one moved.

“You need to understand,” he said gently, glancing from one face to another around the room, “your mother will require continuous care for the foreseeable future. Her fall caused complications that make living alone unsafe. If a family member can’t stay with her, we’ll need to arrange a long-term care facility.”Continue reading…