Alzheimer's Caregivers Need Help, Too

Every morning, Sophie cradles five pairs of eyeglasses that she keeps on her bathroom vanity. They swim in a cardboard box with other necessities of daily living - her wallet stuffed with funny-money; her shower cap (she hates getting her hair wet and wears it outside as well as in the tub); cloth scraps cut from her clothes, cloth that she likes to feel piece by piece as she scavenges for her lipstick.

Sophie's daughter, Anna, lies in bed awake, all senses sharp. Again. This is the third time her mother got out of bed during the night to start her day. Now, at 5 a.m., Anna stiffens her muscles and grinds her teeth. She tells herself that 5 a.m. is a civil hour, but is it? How long has it been since she, Anna, her mother's sole caregiver, had the luxury to sleep through the night?

Anna listens to her mother and knows what comes next. First, with the lipstick, her mother will draw a circle around her mouth, drop the tube in the box (or sink), then carry her eyewear to the den, if she doesn't get tricked by a fluttering shadow making her get lost in the kitchen. This day Sophie is not tricked by shadows. She settles into her self-made bowl in the couch and begins her optical routine. One of the pairs of glasses makes her see the best, but as she samples each, she forgets which ones she's tried and which one makes her see crisp blue circles on sticks at the end of the driveway. Anna refuses to tell her mother which pair she chose the day before - the ensuing argument isn't worth the bad feelings it stirs up. She loves her mother. And Sophie, her mother, has a disease that demands the tiresome testing of realities. It insists on loss of memory. Sophie suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, a dementia that is progressive, irreversible, and usually fatal.

Whereas Alzheimer's sufferers may hoard hope for a cure for as long as they are able, their caregivers need relief of anxiety and stress now. To assist caregivers of persons with Alzheimers, the Center on Aging at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston is conducting a free study, directed by Dr. Rhonda Akkerman. Participants will attend nine, weekly, small group meetings to learn specific strategies to manage stress and decrease anxiety. For more information, contact Diane Heath at (713) 500-3774.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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