The author is overwhelmed caring for her mom with Alzheimer's.
Courtesy of the author
When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two-and-a-half years ago, it soon became apparent that she would need 24-hour care. I work full-time and live in a small apartment with two kids, so caring for her myself or having her move in with me was not an option. Thankfully (after nine months and tons of red tape), I was able to get her into a Medicaid program and arrange full-time in-home care for her.What I didn't expect was that caring for her would still be a full-time job. Don't get me wrong. I love my mother and want to help her. Her condition is heartbreaking, and I'm extremely grateful that she has people with her to manage her moment-by-moment care needs, like cooking, cleaning, grooming, medication reminders, and making sure she stays safe.Still, I never expected how much work caregiving for an elderly parent would be, even if I'm not providing direct 24/7 care.My mom is reliant on meMy mother is extremely reliant on me emotionally. She can still use her phone, so I get about 20 to 30 texts and about one to 10 phone calls from her daily. Each time her aide gives her medication, she texts me to ask what it's called. She asks me multiple times a day when I will see her next, even after I answer her. It's endless repeated questions, confusion, and fears. I can't respond to everything, but I have to respond sometimes, and it's a constant interruption to my day.I live five minutes away from her, so anytime she needs something, it falls on my husband or me. She can no longer shop or run errands and often needs help with this or that around her house. We are there multiple times a week helping her. She tends to lose things, break things, or cause other problems at home that require outside support. I also make it a practice to spend one afternoon a week with her just spending time together.
