Keywords

care-giver, elderly, Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

As a typical self-centered teenager, I struggled to find anything good about grandma moving in with us. Grandma required a lot of help with stairs, dressing, bathing; I noticed this brought a new kind of stress into our home. I think it was particularly hard on my mother, who provided most of the daily care for her mother-in-law. Living in a basement bedroom, I could escape form the stress if I wanted. I did not share a bathroom or hallway, I did not have to listen to incoherent talk and cries in the night as Alzheimer's disease began to take its toll. Yet, I knew that my parents and some siblings slept less, worried more, and lost some freedom.

Original Publication Citation

Sandberg, J.G. (2006). Interventions with family caregivers. Handbook and Families and Health. (Eds.) Crane, R., & Marshall, Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.