Topic: Caregiver Syndrome

Caregiver Syndrome: Reality for many caregivers dealing with Dementia

By Christine Anne Piesyk | August 23, 2007 |

“Some days I just wanted to crawl into a closet and scream… ”

“One morning I found I simply could not get out of bed. The simple action of pushing back the sheet was too hard. I had nothing left…”

“My mother’s brain is gone, but her body is like the energizer bunny. Keeps on going and going and going … and I can’t keep up. I’m so tired I am getting sick all the time…”

“Dad keeps sneaking out. How can someone who remembers nothing be so clever … he’s an escape artist…”

For the millions of caregivers tackling the challenge of caring for someone with Dementia, most commonly in the form of Alzheimer’s disease affecting a parent, spouse or sibling, things like exhaustion, stress, declining health (their own), anger, rage, guilt and other emotions and issues are “normal.” It’s what happens when otherwise healthy people are suddenly confronted with the 24/7 reality of care-giving. A kind of care-giving measured not in days, weeks, or months, but years.

As Alzheimer’s reaches near epidemic proportions and is affecting ever increasing millions of people who are living longer (if not always better), and the pool of available caregivers shrinks, the pressures are mounting. And caregivers are crumbling under the weight of their complex responsibilities. «Read the rest of this article»

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