I’m not sure if this is the right forum or not for this.
My MIL is manic depressive, and has been for years. She’s been in and out of mental institutions, and lately spends maybe 25% of her time involuntarily committed. Generally, she’ll go off her meds and do something that makes her a danger to herself or others, the police will be called, and after the paperwork/court stuff is done she ends up spending 6 months or so in some institution or another until they can get her stable again.
She’s about 65 and has lots of health problems. She’s been living by herself in a house she owns when she’s out of the hospital. She receives SS and a retirement check, and it brings her income up just enough to make her ineligible for a lot of assistance, but she does not have much money. My SIL lives about 1/2 a hour away, and has to manage just about every aspect of my MILs life. (We live in Japan, there are no other kids.) MIL has been on meds so long that it’s affected her brain, and I’d say she has the mental capacity of maybe an 8 year old. It’s a huge burden for SIL and her husband. Recently she’s had some acute problems that have required ambulance rides to the hospital. She really, really shouldn’t be living alone, for many reasons. Living with either of the kids is NOT an option, as we all value our sanity. If it wasn’t for SIL managing everything, MIL would be on the street.
What she really needs is assisted living, but everything we’ve found so far has cost thousands of dollars a month, and nobody has that money. Is there some option here we aren’t seeing? This is happening in the Fond Du Lac area of Wisconsin.
Thanks for any advice.