But the POA holds all the cards. I am treated like the next door neighbor. According to the POA I have no rights regarding my mother. I talked to mom today on the phone. She is in a NH a long ways away. Mom was having an altercation with the aides. They are respectful to her and nice to her, I haven't seen anything even near abuse. She was fighting with them. Calling them b*tch, saying she was going to sue them, yelling at them, cursing at them. etc. They wanted her to put on clean clothes for the day. They left the phone on the shelf and I could hear the whole conversation. When she was in her own home, she cursed at me, now its the nurses etc. I have begged the POA to have the doc put her on some medication to soothe her, calm her down. The POA says no, period. NO. I really hate to see my beloved mother going through such a bad time in her remaining years. Couldn't her life be enhanced by some meds? But the POA still says no and gives no explanation as to why mom can't be sedated a little bit. POA will not discuss this with me at all. When she does email me, POA is full of fury and vicious emails and vile things to say. I feel that the POA isn't doing a good enough job as POA. Maybe I should talk again to my lawyer.
If I rock the boat too much then POA will make it so that I cannot see my mother.
That is problem number 1. Problem number 2 is that POA tries to run my life outside of my mother. She has forbidden me to go to my AA meetings, b/c it would look bad. And she tries to run my life in other ways as well.
Problem number three is that my husband has dementia as well and likes to argue. My new doctor asked if I had any stresses in my life. No, not much, yeah right.
Take care of yourself. Take care of your husband. That is more than enough for one person. Give yourself permission to continue to be kind to Mother, to send her cards and call her, but to release the burden of trying to care for her. That is not your responsibility now.
2. Ignore her. She can't run your life unless you let her. Go to your AA meetings. Do as you please in your life.
3. A spouse with dementia is extremely sad and extremely stressful. Maybe that has to be your focus for now.