Free yourself from the burden of being a superhuman caregiver

Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh offers wise words and compassionate insights once again on her blog, When Dementia Knocks. There are many ways family members can react to a loved one’s dementia diagnosis. Some people will embrace the fuzzy blinders of denial, while others will go into overdrive in an attempt to protect their loved one from cognitive decline for as long as possible. While the latter is noble to a certain extent, it can place an intense and unrealistic burden on the caregiver, as Eshbaugh points out in her blog post. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease; while there may be some steps you can take to stave off decline for awhile, they won’t work in every person and eventually, the disease progresses. When a loved one declines after a period of relative stability, it’s not the fault of the caregiver. It is simply the nature of the terrible disease.

Be kind, especially to yourself and your role as a dementia caregiver.