- Statement to the Senate
- Still Here Now
- Goodbye Grudge, Hello Health
- A Caregiver's Plight: How to Ease the Stress
- Sue Bender: Stretching Lessons
- Beth's Story: A Caregiver's Diary
- Reconciling Sibling Relationships
A Caregiver's Plight: How to Ease the Stress
Ten years ago, Margo Aparicio rescued her widowed mother, Genevieve, from near death because of a neglectful aide. Although she did it out of love, Aparicio never imagined the toll caregiving would take on her health and emotions.
Genevieve suffered not only from diabetes, incontinence, and dementia but also severe emotional problems: She needed to know that someone cared. So Aparicio relocated her mother from 150 miles away into an apartment above her own in San Francisco. For four years, Aparicio bathed her mother, fed her and cleaned up after her, while also working full time. Then depression descended -- without warning. "I would wake up realizing my day was going to be nonstop horrific with no relief in sight," says Aparicio, 45. Soon, Aparicio grew so depressed she became isolated and angry. "When I found myself screaming at my mother and blaming her, I realized I needed help."