As a consumer advocate, I want to share what I learned about caring for my mother in my apartment when my father died and she could no longer take care of herself. After a long hospitalization, I brought her to my apartment to continue recovering and share decisions about next steps. What was supposed to be a two-week visit turned into a six-year stay that I wouldn't have thought possible. Instead of driving me crazy, I learned that it was less expensive and more rewarding than assisted living and/or nursing homes for me and my mother, even after hiring caregivers, companions, and drivers to make my life easy and my mom happy. I hired more than 25 caregivers before figuring out what my mother needed and finding the kind of person who could really meet her needs. Mona Doyle 215.235.2400 Mona@ConsumerNetwork.org