Battling Alzheimer

  I talked with a friend yesterday. She could relate to the paradox of caregiver grief.  Being sad, on one hand, as she watches the disease slowly takes her mother away and on the other hand, being grateful that she still has her mother and is able to connect with her, from time to time. The conversation reminded me that caregiving and grief tend to go hand in hand; because caregiving usually causes a role-reversal, or at best a shift in previously established roles.  Yesterday, I talked about the fact that caregivers begin greiving while their loved ones are still alive. Today, I’ll talk about HOW caregivers grieve.

You have probably heard of Elizabeth Kubler Ross.  Regarding end of life issues, she was the uncontested expert.  She started out studying those who were diagnosed with terminal illnesses and she looked at the ups, downs, phases and stages they experienced.  Eventually, she discovered that those who have lost a loved one experience the same stages.  It is now widely accepted that the stages of grief that she described are applicable to grief associated with a myriad of losses.  With that foundation, let’s look specifically at caregiver grief that begins prior to the death of person receiving care

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