The toll of caregiving
Most people living with dementia are cared for at home by a spouse, an adult child, or another family member, usually without pay. Caregiving is often loving and meaningful work, and it is also demanding. Many caregivers put their own health last.
Signs of caregiver stress
- Feeling overwhelmed, irritable, or constantly worried
- Trouble sleeping, or sleeping much more than usual
- Pulling away from friends and activities you used to enjoy
- Skipping your own doctor visits or medications
- New or worsening health problems
- Feeling resentful, guilty, or hopeless
These feelings are common among caregivers, and they are a signal to get more support.
Getting help
- Accept offers of help, and be specific when you ask: a meal, a ride to an appointment, an afternoon with your loved one.
- Use respite care, which gives you scheduled time off while someone else provides care.
- Join a support group, in person or online, where other caregivers understand what you are going through.
- Learn about the disease, so changes in behavior are less surprising and easier to handle.
- Keep your own medical appointments, and tell your doctor that you are a caregiver.
Medicare's GUIDE program
GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) is a Medicare program that supports unpaid caregivers of people living with dementia. Eligible families can receive up to 80 hours a year of in-home respite care, a 24/7 support line, care navigation, and caregiver training. Memory Treatment Centers delivers GUIDE caregiver support in partnership with Craniometrix. Find out whether your family qualifies.
The Alzheimer's Association Helpline, 800-272-3900, is also open at any hour for questions and emotional support.
When care needs grow
If you are worried about your own safety or your loved one's, or if care needs are beyond what you can safely provide, talk with your loved one's care team or your own doctor. Planning for more help at home, an adult day program, or a move to assisted living or memory care is part of caring well, and it goes better before a crisis than during one.
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, at any hour.
This guide is for education and is not medical advice. Treatment decisions are made with your provider after a full evaluation.