HEALTHBUSINESS INSIDER
I've been my mom's caregiver for 10 years. I'm running on empty.
Jessica Chalk has cared for her mother, who has early-onset dementia, for 10 years. The mother's symptoms, including memory loss and difficulty with daily tasks, led to a dementia diagnosis after four years of testing. Jessica manages her mother's care, the family business For Keeps, and a new baby, describing the experience as the hardest part of her life.
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- The hardest part of dementia wasn't losing my mother. It was watching her lose herself.
- My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 65. Her care would have cost $10,000 a month, so I quit and became her caregiver.
- Dementia care consumed our lives for months. We're still learning how to cope.
- I was my mother's caregiver until her death. Four years later, I'm still struggling with the $17,000 medical debt.
- I wanted to care for my parents as they got older. The reality is proving to be more difficult.
- I'm raising children and caring for my dad with Alzheimer's. They all need me at once.