Stories from Caregivers: Alana from NEW HAMPSHIRE
NH
Alana
FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE
I care for my mother named Alma. She has dementia and she has good days and bad days. It started a few years ago when she had to give up driving because she fell and broke her hip. I began then by doing her grocery shopping but then she started making bad judgments with her banking and kept over drafting her checking account. I asked my daughter to help figure things out and we soon realized she didn't know what she was doing so I took over her finances. Fast forward about three years and I have had to get my brother to help and we have state help or government help sending out caregivers Monday through Friday. However, her needs still require a lot from us including three of my daughters, my son and my cousin. She just forgot my brother's birthday so that shows another decline and she doesn't remember much but demands on being in control of everything. I never knew this would be so hard because in reality we have already lost our mother but she is still living but not nearly the same. She calls me at least 10 times a day and sounds like a little child. I try so hard to do what is best for her but I feel like I am failing. Now we are at the point where we feel she needs 24 hour care in a nursing facility but I don't know how I'm going to be able to do this to her, To all you families out there dealing with dementia, it is not easy, you need a lot of help on board.
