Alzheimer's Caregiver Roundtable Series: Section 2a - Adjusting Daily Life for Caregiving

Caregiving often means adapting to new situations daily. Hear from caregivers as they share how they balance decision-making, social life, and sacrifices while caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's. Learn from their firsthand experiences about the emotional challenges and adjustments involved.
👉 Get more resources: www.caregivera...
Don’t forget to:
👍 Like this video if you found it helpful
🔔 Subscribe for more resources and support
💬 Comment below with any questions or thoughts
Transcript:
You kind of just have to roll with it. You have to adjust, and every day is new. I mean, every single day, you go, I go, it's something new and different that wasn't like that the night before. And that's tough. If we want to go to dinner, it's like, and I sit there-thank God for text messaging nowadays-you know, I'm putting out an APB looking for someone to come take care of Mom and Dad, just sit with them for a couple hours so we can do dinner with friends.
I make all the decisions. You know, what day John's going to get a haircut, whether we're going to go down to the harbor and walk-which we do very frequently. I write the checks, send out the cards, I just make all of the decisions.
She always paid all of her bills up until just a few months ago, when she started becoming lax on that to the point that she wouldn't even open up the mail when it came. I'd find it sitting on the chair-sometimes it was a week old, just sitting there unopened. So I'd have to open it, write out the checks, etc.
When I go socially now, I think about, "Okay, can I take my mom? What would it entail?" Because it's almost like me having a kid. I have to make sure I have her bag with all the goodies, and changing clothes, and everything else I need. Because if I take her out anywhere, I've got to be prepared.
You have to readjust; you have to decide for the day what's more important. Because there were many times that I could call my mother, and I could hear in her voice that she just wanted me there. So I would get in my car, and I'd call people and say, "I can't do what I'm going to do," and I'd go there and be with her, because that's what was needed.
And it's a sacrifice, and a lot of people don't understand. I have other family members where they don't understand caregiving to be from the heart, which means involving taking care of and being an advocate for your loved one. They just look at it as, "Well, they're just getting old, that's old folk disease." And it's like, it's not.
This content is sponsored by Forest Laboratories, Inc.