Hello,
My name is Ashlee i am 34 years old and have been caring for my mother (66) with Alzheimer’s for 2 years, since the unexpected death of my farther. I work full time (40+ hours a week) and try and care for my mother, but I struggle with it. I have no help from my expanded family. They think because I am a female it is my responsibility to take care of her. They keep telling me I need to sell everything I have and move back home with her. My older brother lives with her full time but will not accept the fact that she has this disease and will not take care of her. My family also tells me I should not have my own family or live my own dreams as my mom should be my #1 concern. I have no one to talk about this with as I have no one near me going through the same and it’s a struggle everyday with work and my mental health/wellbeing. My family is always making me feel guilty and anything i do. Thank you for listening and any help would be welcomed!
Hi, Ashlee -
Thanks for sharing your story here. I am sure so many caregivers can relate with the struggle of balancing work and caregiving, and the impacts that can have on your mental/emotional well being. And I am sure that many can also relate to the feeling of "losing yourself" while caregiving by putting aspects of your own life on the back burner.
It is great that you reached out here because peer to peer support can be crucial to not only in regards to helping you problem solve some day to day aspects connected to the logistics of caregiving, but also in making you feel less alone. I suppose one suggestion I have for you would be to reach out to our Caregiver Help Desk. They can help identify some specific resources to help you and help get connected to them locally. You can reach out to the Help Desk by calling the toll-free number (855)227-3640 or by clicking the "Help Desk" button you might see att the bottom right of your scree. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 8AM to 7PM Eastern, but you'll be able to leave a message if you reach out after hours.
Hope this is a little helpful, and thank you again for sharing. If there is anthing I can assist with, don't heistate to let me know.
Nichole