As a caregiver, what is your biggest struggle?

There is a point where you no longer feel competent to help. This is when the disease effects areas like personality and emotion. As a professional psychiatrist and podiatrist – I felt like I wasn’t prepared. My focus had to shift. I had to keep reminding myself to be oriented and loving as my wife became someone I didn’t recognize. I had to stay myself for her. At some point, caring for her at home became unbearable and unendurable so I had to seek professional help – and that is okay. You can’t continue to shoulder that burden alone after a certain point. Dementia is a collaborative disease.