Hello,
I'm caring for my uncle. He had a spinal cord injury 38 years ago and has been in a wheelchair since. I have always helped with his care as needed, but four years ago my grandmother passed and my husband and I took on the job of his full time care. He lives in our in-law apartment with us and our three children ages 12, 12 and 10.
When my uncle is well he is very independent; dressing himself, transferring himself in and out of bed and fixing some of his meals. This summer he had a bad pneumonia with an ICU stay and came home on oxygen. It looks like he may need it for good now and it adds another level to his care. I know he going to be more dependant on me as he ages and I worry about being able to balance his care with my kids and my part time job.
I found this organization mentioned in a book about emotional survival for caregivers and I'm happy to have looked it up. I'm looking forward to chatting with other people who understand what it's like to have so much responsibility.
M