COLLINS: Dealing with one of life’s toughest decisions
MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE of those we love requires a strength that takes us to the limit. Moving a family member from home to a care facility means you are determining the future course of their life.
It’s not a decision you take on your own. Most of the time, the decision is made with the help of professionals who can guide you through the maze. Sometimes, it seems like you’re abandoning them, but many times, long-term care is the only logical choice to create the best living conditions possible, more consistent and safer than home care.
I’ve been part of that decision-making process twice in the past few years and it has been so tough. As you walk away, and look back, seeing them in the window, no words can express the pain.
Councillor Katie Neustaeter and her family were recently faced with that decision and I am in awe of her strength in making that decision public. The fact that she and her dad are well-known in the community made the whole process even more difficult.
