The Difficult Toll Alzheimer's Takes On Family Caregivers | NBC Nightly News

Experts say of the 16 million family caregivers, nearly 60 percent suffer from high emotional stress, 40 percent suffer from depression, and 250,000 are under 18 years old.

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The Difficult Toll Alzheimer's Takes On Family Caregivers | NBC Nightly News

[stevepeppers]

I'm 3 years in tending mom with no additional help. I mooch off her small ssi check.
I'm dying from stress, sadness and lonesomness, but mom is getting good care. May the Lord provide.

[robbiejsemperfi]

So we recognize the effects it's having on families, what are we doing about it? I'm currently in this situation and I've never felt more trapped in my life. I love my mom, but this is the most stressful thing I've ever experienced and It's not going to get any better. I need help.

[bellesativa]

The stench of total incontinence on the bed, on the carpet, in the bathroom which you have to disinfect each time you use it for yourself. Being awakened 3 to 4 times a night, every night. The putrid smell of rotten fish is like no other which you breathe in for months until you can't stop coughing while she tears up the bedpads in a cloud of lint. My mother accused me of murdering her mother, my grandmother, with tears in her eyes. Asked her what made her think that, she said those were my grandmother's dying words. The truth, she died peacefully at home about 40 years ago from an autoimmune disease.

[titanman]

I can vouch for that. My mother passed in May from Alzheimer's. Even with siblings helping it took a toll on us. Advice to anyone in the early experience...you have to keep reminding yourself that whatever they are doing that seems weird to you is their reality. So don't argue with them if they do something that's stressing you try to be calm at all times or walk away and cool off if you can. If available, get as much assistance as you can otherwise you might become the patient.

[Mcgrandma]

It’s so much better keeping them at home rather than going into a facility. I’m a caregiver and most families take their dementia family member to memory care and hardly go see them. It’s really heartbreaking.

[JanetSavona-yfqn]

I would rather go before I put my family through that

[ChillSensesASMR]

I"m a solo caregiver and had a massive heart attack a month ago. It really does take its toll but now I just try to go with the flow, and realize that her behavior isn't my fault or hers. Its something we just have to accept.

[outlawX]

Same thing with my grandfather a WW2 Army Air Core he suffered from Dementia which rapidly grew worse he didn't know who I was and a couple of years later he died on christmas

[joesmith]

I only was around one grandparent and she was long gone

[nsofhus]

He and you need some weed it will help .

[kedricpitman]

What does Oprah Winfrey say about senior citizens since MSNBC loves Oprah!