When my mother received a statement from her insurance company recently, detailing $5,800 for sleep apnea supplies, I checked it to verify coverage and then tossed it aside. Afterward, it hit me: My mother doesn’t Read More
Caregiving requires a lot — a lot of heart, passion, drive, energy, strength…. As any caregiver knows, the list goes on. Yet, caregivers also need a lot — information, resources, support — and many are too much in Read More
Mona’s mom, 97, has Alzheimer’s disease and has lived with Mona for the past 11 years. When Mona retired about 12 years ago, she noticed that her mother, who had always been very active socially and Read More
About eight years ago, Gail and her siblings decided that she should care for their mother. Gail’s 76-year-old mother was in kidney failure and AFib; she had vascular dementia and other health issues. The Read More
Beth became an unexpected caregiver early, when her husband had an extreme reaction to allergy tests a decade ago. The reaction led to an asthmatic condition that shut down his lungs. He went into a Read More
About six years ago, Russell’s family in Puerto Rico called him in Chicago. He needed to do something, they said, because his mom was forgetting things on the stove and showing other signs of Read More
After a long career working overseas, George returned to the U.S. to move in with his mother. She passed away in 2016, two years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. George, who is single Read More
Pam cared for her husband, who recently passed away at age 80 from Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed about two years ago, after having symptoms for several years. At first, he was largely able to Read More
Scott’s sister has dementia and lives six hours away from him — a distance that introduces unique caregiving challenges. Once, for example, Scott dialed 911 on her behalf because she was having a health emergency she Read More
Joan and her husband are currently caregivers for Joan’s mother, 98, and their adult granddaughter, 35, who live with them on their farm. Their granddaughter has cerebral palsy, is nonverbal, needs extensive physical assistance, and has Read More