Alzheimer’s Association defines the disease as: “a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.”

The symptoms also interfere with the caregiver’s daily tasks.  If you have a family member or friend who needs your care because they have Alzheimer’s, your life is interrupted. You were going in one direction, now you have to change directions and possibly even put your life on hold.  This is the difficult reality for caregivers. You start out with a certain amount of patience, but even the most patient person can suffer from exhaustion and depression.  

What did I do?  I found a counselor and a respite person.  The counselor was for me.  The respite worker was for my mother who had Alzheimer’s.  I found a wonderful person to help my mother 3 days a week for a couple of hours each day. It made a big difference for our family.  My mother enjoyed her company and my father enjoyed talking the caregivers’ ears off. I told my Dad to go out and enjoy some free time. He did sometimes, but was grateful to have someone to talk to. The respite woman also said she was used to a spouse needing a person to converse with.  

Don’t waste any time, because as we know, time flies.  Reach out as I did and call the Alzheimer’s Association for help.  The association is there for both the patient and the family.