Pottery Chatroom Board

I have to say that care-giving depends a lot on the situation of the care-giver and the person needing care. I have very little personal experience with Alzheimers, but at one time I had my alcoholic MIL, my uncle who had several strokes, and my husband who had cancer, all in my care at one time, all living in the same house. Granted that until the last few months, all three of them were up and around, and capable of feeding and dressing themselves. And my uncle had to go into a nursing home about a year after my husband became ill. But the first four months and the last five months of my husband's illness were very stressful, since he was either in the hospital or at home with nurses coming in a few days a week. At other times he was in the hospital in either Albany or Manhattan, 80 miles or so either way.
I feel for anyone who is in the situation of being a care-giver, and I have made sure that a Health Care Proxy with an alternate is in my lawyer's files. Jack has done the same, and I think we know each others wishes and Jim does, too. We both realize what the future holds, and have tried to make it as easy as possible, but it will still be a difficult time.
I don't consider this preparation to be terribly depressing, just sensible and necessary.