Starting at 4 a.m.

4 am - woken by my father to help him use the beside toilet.  Help him onto the toilet, lay out toilet paper for him, and leave him to his business.  Once he is finished help him back to bed and tuck him in.  Empty the chamber pot into the toilet, rinse it, return it to bedroom.

6 am - woken once again by my father either to assist him in using the urinal or to recover him or perhaps because he thinks that it is later in the morning than it is.

8 am - Wake dad and help him use the toilet.  Provide assistance in sponge bath.  Dress him.  Take him into the front room and make coffee, give him a nutrition drink (such as Boost or Ensure) and a glass of water.

10 am - Make dad breakfast and give him his morning pills.

12 pm - Usually time for another trip to the bathroom around this point.  Take time to help him shave if needed.

3 pm - Late lunch and afternoon pills.

6 pm - begin preparing supper

7 pm - Time for the evening pills.

9 pm - Time for supper.

12 am - Time for the night pills.  Help dad get ready for bed.  Trip to bathroom, tuck him in, make sure foot warmer is turned on.  Kiss goodnight and tell him I love him.

1 am - woke by dad who has woken after only a couple minutes of sleep and thinks it is morning now.  Tell him it is still night and tuck him in again.

2:30 - 3 am - woken by dad to help him use the urinal (am sometimes too late and must help him clean himself up and change clothes then I must change the bed linens and help him back to bed.)

 

And that is an average day - not including if I must go to town or take him to a doctor appointment, not including any housecleaning or the things that I do for my mother during the day, and not accounting for the no more than a few stolen moments of free time for myself during the course of the day.