In yesterday's introductory diary, I mentioned that almost all of us will find ourselves in the role of being a care-provider at some point, either directly or remotely.
In this diary I thought it might be good to illustrate that fact by sharing stories about how we each came to be a care-provider.
My own story is told fully in the introduction of our new book, but the thumbnail sketch version is that my wife and I moved in with her mom back in 2002 after she had a couple of minor car accidents which indicated problems with mental decline. Initially she was mostly capable to take care of herself, with us there to keep an eye on things. Then in early 2004 she took a fall and broke her hip.
It was a pretty 'clean' break, but the end result was the trauma to her system (both the break and subsequent surgery) accelerated the progression of her Alzheimer's. From that point on, either my wife or I needed to always be on hand with her. For a few months my wife spent her days with her mom, and then that summer I closed my retail business in order to be the primary care provider. That lasted until her death in early 2008.
What caused the break? Something as simple as my mother-in-law losing her balance in her bedroom, where she didn't think she needed to be using her walker. Just that fast, our whole lives changed.
So, what's your story of how you came to be a care-giver?