six-car-habit: Thank you for your time and response! I appreciate the advice about the septic tank and water/electrical lines. What I mean by “renovating an RV” are things like paint, flooring (no carpet), etc....cosmetic things, definitely NOT structural changes. I know it seems that 30 minutes is not far, trust me. But, my Mom is pretty restless and has had a little increase in the frequency of upset/anger episodes. Additionally, my Dad will want to do things around the farm, but if he is gone for more than 15 mins she’s looking for him, calling me or calling the neighbors, getting anxious, etc. We’ve also had an issue with the “no driving” for her, which has been pretty difficult for her to understand (though it’s much better now than it was a couple of months ago). It’s just a lot for my Dad to watch her all the time. I’ve asked him to simply call me when he needs to go do something away from the house and I’ll come stay with Mom, but he is not structured and wants to do what he wants, when he wants. But, it’s quickly coming the time when from a safety perspective, in my eyes, that is not going to work with Mom. I definitely struggle with being even more accessible to them than I already am, because I do a lot for them already, but my Mom is declining, Dad is declining...like any situation such as this it’s complex and only going to get worse. :/
SunnyDays: Thank you for your time and response! Maybe I do need to think more about this being really short-term and act accordingly, but it could be years? I just don’t know, as it depends on my Mom’s progression with the AD and my Dad’s health. I’m finding it hard to balance the “this is temporary” with “this could be for years”, and “I want to be happy with where I’m living”.
Fishindude: Thank you for your time and response! I’ll definitely give more thought to a single-wide mobile home. Admittedly, I kind of skimmed over those when looking at options because, and this is terrible, but because I find them to be unattractive. Since my home is my refuge, I don’t want to live in something I find ugly :). However, I certainly care about the money and functionality aspect too, so perhaps I need to work on changing my view of the appearance of a single-wide. There is not an existing building on the property that could be renovated, but I appreciate your idea that setting a small garage-type structure could work and add some value to the property. That is not something I had considered.
former player: Thank you for your time and response! No, there is no chance of them moving closer to me. The only way my Dad is leaving that farm is in a pine box. He would never consider moving or selling. I should have clarified that I would be looking for a fifth wheel...from what I’ve read, if you’re going to be living full-time in it, the fifth wheel gives you the most space, so I wouldn’t have to worry about an engine (I understand your point though). Your last paragraph solidified my thought after reading Fishindude’s response. As I mentioned in my reply to him, I skimmed over the mobile home because of my perception and aesthetic preferences, but maybe that is too short-sighted. You’re absolutely correct; I don’t know how long this will be, but I do feel that I am looking at years. Your last sentence struck a chord with me, so thank you for that perspective.
Dicey: Thank you so much. I appreciate your time and you sharing your experiences. My Mom declined so rapidly at the beginning it was unbelievable (the progression seems to have slowed a little now). To see how the disease has affected her already absolutely breaks my heart, and as you said, there’s a lot of tough road ahead. It becomes unbearable when I think very far ahead, so I really have to focus on “today” or I will easily feel overwhelmed. I plan for what I can and, for the rest of the time, have to flex my flexibility muscles more than my personality really likes :). Some days, when a bad day for her hits, the feelings try to swallow me. The really cute “tiny” home I mentioned in my initial post is a park model home. I just can’t bring myself to pay >$50,000 for it. Thanks for the encouragement to reach out to the community. I really suck at reaching out...probably something I need to get better about :).
ixtap: Thank you for your time and response! I think I will take another, closer look at a single-wide mobile home, based on the objective advice I’ve already received here. Thank you for giving your vote! :)
Any other advice or perspectives, please share! I greatly appreciate the help.