Caregiver Needs Medical Care before Health Is Irreparably Shattered

Dear Carol: I’m an only child and single. My mother developed cancer in her 70s and I helped Dad care for her until her death two years ago. Only months after her death, Dad turned into another person. It’s not that he was simply angry. He seemed to be hallucinating and could be violent. I managed to get him to a psychiatrist who said that Dad has mixed dementia, likely a combination of Alzheimer’s and something else, maybe Lewy body dementia. The trauma of seeing his wife decline and finally die in a nursing home may have kicked off Dad’s symptoms and I’m sympathetic, but I could not handle Dad’s situation alone and eventually placed him in the VA home. Read full column on Inforum about caregiver burnout and the need to take action:  Support a caregiver or jump start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders of Minding Our Elders e-mail Carol                 Related StoriesLong-term Caregiving Will ChangeYour LifeWhen Both Parents Have Dementia: How to Cope?Dementia Death: Conflicting Emotions Are Normal for Caregivers After a Loved One Dies 
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs