My sympathy is with you. Caregiving is a total constant and unyielding consumer of time. The loss of a loved one is almost unbearable. The two combined can take it's toll on you. So be kind and gentle to yourself and I hope with all my heart that your passion for sewing and quilting will fill in some of the gaps. Bless you.
I use 2 1/2 strips for my bindings. I now machine bind and find I really enjoy it. I trim the edge of the quilt sandwich and attach the un-pressed folded binding on with a wider stitch than the typical 1/4 inch. When I wrap it around there is just enough binding to sew close to the same seam used to attach the binding. My stitches are then on the binding on both sides of the quilt. This works great for me.
Good luck on your bindings and enjoy the finish!