Caregiving, no matter its necessity or the love with which it is provided, can be a tremendous weight on even the most devoted family member or friend. Specifically, for those who care for individuals suffering from cognitive diseases, the challenges can be many. Those with cognitive diseases can often be resistant to care, like feeding, cleaning, or giving medicine. Also, these individuals can experience aggression, because of side effects of their diseases like sundowning. Not to mention dealing with the emotional challenges of watching your loved one struggle to recognize you or hold a conversation can be incredibly brutal.
According to AARP, 61% of caregivers work either a full or part time job. For many of these individuals, the added responsibility of caregiving may have been unexpected, and now, on top of a full time job, they have a human’s life in their hands. These working caregivers face issues such as lost income and career opportunities, which, coupled with the medical bills that many of these caretakers may be personally responsible for, can be crippling financially.
While there have been some policies created to somewhat assist caregivers and those that they care for, it’s just not enough. Most importantly, the Family and Medical Leave Act must be expanded to cover a wider range of workplaces and caregivers, as well as provide paid medical leave, since financial burden is just one of the many stressors that damage the health of caregivers and those they care for. The care provided by unpaid, and oftentimes unseen, caregivers across America is invaluable.
This is where the story of my Aunt Laura begins. Laura, as the oldest child of my grandmother, has played a large part in caring for my grandmother as she struggles with autoimmune encephalitis. Laura works full-time, and is the sole income provider in her family. She recently received her law degree and is a mother to two high school-aged boys. Her workload in her personal and career life as well as her workload as a caregiver, is tremendous. But still, more than anything, my Aunt Laura just misses her mom.