When Your Partner Has Memory Loss
When Your Partner Has Memory Loss September 15, 2015 | Ellen When I attend our Memory Cafes here in Montpelier, I am struck by the high number of couples who attend. I've visited caregiver support groups in other places as well, and inevitably there are more caregiver spouses attending than there are caregiver children. There are many reasons for this, of course. Typically, children of people with dementia may still be working full or part-time, and cannot attend daytime support groups; children may also have siblings or even their own children, who can help out with caring for an elderly mom or dad. But people who are caring for their life's partner have an extra burden to bear. Life seems to have dealt them a particularly cruel blow, in that they cannot share their grief and loss with someone who has always been there for them. There isn't another spouse/partner to lean on. Reading the post titled "Alone" on the blog Missing Jim: Confessions of an Alzheimer's Wife, expressed what I have heard from many of my friends who are dealing with this situation. Theirs is a lonely path; I hope that Memory Cafe can ease the pain, allowing them to share their journey with others who understand.
