Caregivers, I am a young(er) caregiver, balancing supporting an ailing parent (early-onset dementia, history of stroke) and kids of my own. I am working on a resource for myself and other millennial caregivers and interested in any tips experienced caregivers have.
Watch out for perimenopause ( assuming you’re female here ) comboing w/the stress of elder care and management, especially a parent with dementia. Of course this might not be the case with you. And for me I would have gotten symptoms anyway, but this combo created a perfect storm of peri symptoms and elder care stress feeding off of and magnifying each other! Going on year EIGHT and my entire perimenopause has been during this elder care insanity. So just a head’s up!
I’d recommend staying ahead of possible peri symptoms by looking up what they might be, and possible supplement ideas and ideas for mitigation lined up in your head so you don’t get blindsided. Again, this might not be the case for you, but getting peri symptoms on top of family stress and not knowing what’s going on can be crazy making!
I’ll also emphasize that the only reliable care is via paid professionals…offers of help can and will fizz out, if they exist at all. Also better to look into that kind of help before you need it!
Best of luck to you, it is a difficult situation. Take care!
Not everyone with dementia/alzheimers gets angry/combative. Mom never has gotten angry/combative in the 20 year journey and now she mostly sleeps.