Dealing with Elderly Parent and Making a Life

by Rose
(Florida)

Dealing with an Elderly Parent and attempting to have a life is more difficult than I imagined even a few years ago. Now that my Dad is in his eighties and is in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's (at least that is my diagnosis) more and more of my time is now going over to his side of the ledger and less and less is on my side. A good thing is we moved him close by a number of years ago and he seems to have acclimated himself to the region (we are originally from up north) he is starting to be forgetful and get semi-lost when driving (yes, he still does). I am now taking more of the cleaning and errand running and cooking more than ever and it is really starting to wear me out. I read in an article the other day about elder care givers living longer....really? It does not seem to me to be a stress free thing to do! The day is coming soon that I am going to have to take the car keys away, then the time for me really will go away.