[AT] Greenville Shows, bad times...

[David Bruce]

You know, it is very difficult to comprehend how difficult caring for an 
Alzheimer's patient is unless you are in the middle of it.  I can easily see 
where your sisters could think "It's not so bad" but we know it is.  With my 
great aunt I'm just on the edge of the situation but even so I've had a touch of 
how difficult it is.  My cousin stays with her during the weekdays, gets her 
dressed and such, makes sure she eats and does an absolutely wonderful job 
working with my great aunt.  Her dad handles all of the financial, legal and the 
various house "fix-it" jobs.  I think my cousin gets paid a bit for her time and 
I really hope she does.  She does such a wonderful job - my great aunt is very 
lucky to have such help.
I applaud all who can provide such help - and I hope someone will do the same 
for me if it is needed in the future.

David

Greg Hass wrote:
> I completely sympathize with Farmer's situation.  My dad has been gone a 
> year and a half now after a 9 year battle with Alzheimer's.  He died at 
> 81 after coming down with it at the "young" age of 73.  My brother, I 
> and my dad lived on 3 corners of a crossroad, so we were all within less 
> than 400 ft. of each other's homes.  Because of this, we were able to 
> watch and check on him and he was able to stay in his home for 6-1/2 of 
> the 9 years.  We, too, had to make the decision to put him in a care 
> facility when twice in a short period of time we found he had wandered 
> 3/4 of a mile from home in cold weather without a coat.  My four sisters 
> all objected, but they were not willing to help out and my brother and I 
> had medical ane legal power-of-attorney.  We did not bring him into our 
> homes as we all worked, and more importantly, the doctors told us that 
> if we tried to take care of an Alzheimer's patient he'd bury us first.  
> When anybody mentioned being in a home, he did not even realize he was 
> in a home.  A sad situation indeed.  Having been through it, my heart 
> goes out to anyone who is still facing this problem with parents or 
> spouses.
> 
> Greg Hass