Laura WilkersonSometimes what looks like worsening dementia isn’t the dementia. It’s something else layered on top of it. When a behavior shifts. When agitation increases. When confusion deepens. When fatigue suddenly worsens. The immediate assumption is progression. And sometimes, that assumption is accurate. But not always.
Laura WilkersonMany caregivers are doing everything they can to keep things together. They’re fixing problems as they arise. Managing changes. Responding to urgency after urgency. And when exhaustion sets in, they’re often told they just need better self-care. But caregiving doesn’t fall apart because caregivers aren’t trying hard enough. It falls apart when stability was never built in.
Laura WilkersonOne of the hardest parts of dementia caregiving is grieving someone who is still alive. There’s no ceremony for this kind of grief. No clear beginning. No moment where others recognize what’s being lost. And because it doesn’t look like grief from the outside, caregivers often wonder if they’re even allowed to call it that. But the pain is real — and it deserves to be named.
Laura WilkersonOne of the most disorienting parts of dementia caregiving for adult children isn’t the medical side of the disease. It’s the moment you realize you’re no longer just the daughter or son. You’re the decision-maker. The boundary-setter. The one responsible for safety, schedules, and outcomes. And no one prepares families for what that role reversal actually feels like.