Linda cares for her Mother with dementia.

I care for my elderly mum who has dementia.  It is so sad seeing how confused and scared she is. Her memory problems mean that she repeats herself every 2 minutes which is quite wearing for all the family.

Groundhog Day

I pop in before work every day to give help with medication and breakfast, then leave her lunch in the fridge. But after swallowing the tablets, she asks why I came in and says she doesn’t take any tablets. 

She tells the paid carer at lunchtime that her daughter has fed her lunch, so when I go in on my way home from work, her lunch is still in the fridge. 

Mum has lost the ability to work the tv. She knows the kitchen has something to do with food but is unable to utilise it safely, despite scoring well on the memory tests! 

Although the paid carers come three times a day, we realise that she can’t live alone. The guilt we feel at looking at care homes is dreadful. We are on constant red alert all day and night.

Help from Unpaid Carer Support

Unpaid Carer Support has been fantastic. They’ve helped us realise that we shouldn’t feel so guilty and that it is important to take care of ourselves too. 

Attending the lunches and having the service at the end of the phone or email helps us to appreciate that we are not alone. Talking to other carers and sharing these experiences really helps.