Tag Archives: caretakers

Watching a Loved One Lose Time

When I started writing for the Families.com Health Blog, I was living with my grandmother and acting as one of her primary caretakers. Among a laundry list of other health issues, my grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease. In the three years I lived with her, my grandmother’s disease seemed to progress quickly. She went from the occasional “senior moment” to more concerning behaviors like leaving the stove on, forgetting to take her medicine, and hiding her purse in strange places. My grandmother has entered a new stage of Alzheimer’s disease, one I call “losing time”. You might call it living in … Continue reading →

Alzheimer’s Disease: Forgetting Your Partner

Former U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor is happy that her husband is in love with another woman. Last year, O’Connor left her seat on the U.S. Supreme Court to look after her husband John, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. John O’Connor has been slowly losing his memories to the disease for the last seventeen years. Although the O’Connors have been married for fifty-five years, John has started a new relationship with a patient at a care facility in Arizona. Experts say that it is not common for Alzheimer’s patients to start new relationships. People who suffer from the … Continue reading →

About Alzheimer’s Disease: Caretakers

A person with Alzheimer’s disease is most often cared for by a spouse or family member. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the patient needs more and more care — all day, every day. This can be very stressful for the caretakers. Many caretakers can experience mental and physical health issues, a strained family life, problems at work, and difficulty managing finances. It is important for caretakers to take time for themselves — without feeling guilty. You are not a bad person if you ask for help, or need a break. Remember, you aren’t going to be much help to the patient … Continue reading →

Caring for the Elderly: Advanced Memory Loss

Two years can seem like a very long time, or a very short time. I moved in with my grandmother in March 2004 and have since become one of her primary caretakers. Lately, my grandmother’s memory problems seem to have accelerated. Within the last few months, it seems, she’s gone from mostly capable to much closer to incapable. She’s forgotten where the silverware is (it’s been in the same drawer for as long as I can remember, which is close to thirty years). She’s forgotten where the dishes are kept. She brings the mail in, then turns around and checks … Continue reading →

Learning to Give Injections

I currently live with my grandmother, who has been living with Type II Diabetes since I was in third grade. (I’m 28… so that’s about twenty years of dealing with the disease!) A few months ago, our family doctor decided that the pills she was taking to control her blood sugar just weren’t enough. It was time to start on insulin. And who was the logical choice to play nurse and administer shots? The person who lives with her, of course! (Due to various problems of vision and dexterity, my grandmother really can’t give her own shots.) Now let me … Continue reading →