You can see why exhaustion sets in
Submitted by: PW, Harrison Township
I am the wife of a person who has Parkinson’s with Lewy Body dementia, so I am a full-time caregiver. I keep up the house, do the food preparation and serving, and clean up after meals. I wash and put away laundry and buy new clothing as needed. I tell my spouse I love him many times a day and, no, I do not want to have sex. I act as his medical assistant, ordering drugs as needed and organizing and delivering those drugs 6 times a day on schedule. I take him to his doctor appointments and physical therapy, evaluate the injuries when he falls to determine if a hospital or doctor is needed, then bandage the injured spots and keep the wounds clean and dressed daily until they heal. I do the shopping for devices that will assist in daily living, including protection for the bed, clothing, furniture, food, anything that is needed. I am a coach for exercise, walking around the house. I help him with eating his food, sitting down, getting up, going to the toilet, getting into the shower with him to wash his body and hair, helping with teeth brushing, giving him a shave every other day, trimming his toe and fingernails, driving to the appointments. When you look at all of it you can see why exhaustion sets in. Oh, and then to top it all, we are retired and married so there is NO paying me. Yes, it is done out of love, but the time is coming that I will be alone and wouldn’t it be nice to have a little more money to support myself when he is gone.