YOU ARE NOT ALONE

By Dr. Marion Somers, Ph. D., Ask Dr. Marion

QUESTION: I've been a caregiver for my mother for the past decade, and sometimes I feel so alone. Are there other caregivers out there who feel like me? Jeanie in Hawaii, 60

ANSWER: Many caregivers feel exactly like you do. Almost everyone has aging parents, and many adult children find themselves in a caregiving role at some point in life. Elder care cuts across all economic and social levels. It doesn't make any difference if someone is a CEO of a major corporation, or a small business owner, or a sanitation worker, the likelihood is high that they'll also be touched by elder care at some point. So be reassured, you're not alone.

More than at any time in our history, all walks of life are being touched by elder care. It knows no bounds. I once had a very famous and powerful man as a client. He was one of the world's most influential bankers. His mother was having some problems, and he was in shock and didn't know where to start. This was a man who was used to having people jump through hoops for him, and he was scared, confused, worried, and powerless in the face of his elder care challenge. He felt very alone, too.

I was also hired by a blue collar family of seven adult children who were caring for their aging parents. The caregiving challenge was tearing their family apart, so they decided to move them into a nursing home in order to get their lives back. After struggling to pool their resources together, I came on board to help them find the best facility. I quickly realized that the parents were eligible for Medicaid. After walking them through the process and helping them fill out the forms, their parents were 100% covered. It was thrilling as they placed their parents in the facility. Elder care touches all. You are not alone.