Caregivers, take care

So we lost quite an icon this week with Miss Dolly.

Reports have said that she was neglecting her own health at times to take care of her DH, Carl Dean, who passed in 2025. It has not been made public of how he passed, but it is known that he was diagnosed with alz in 2019.

(Per newsfeed 8/27/2026)

It isn't much of a stretch to figure that 'this' horrid disease knows no boundaries.

Caregivers, please do not neglect your own health. Dolly admitted to this. I could cry.

That is too easy to do, and many caregivers pass on before their LO because of this.

Comments

  • GothicGremlin
    GothicGremlin Member Posts: 1,657
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    I had no idea, and I'm so glad you posted this. I know that looking after my own health is something I kept front of mind when I was taking care of my sister.

  • MN Chickadee
    MN Chickadee Member Posts: 1,037
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    Yes, a good reminder that it can happen to anyone. Even if you have millions of dollars and every resource available to you, the daily grind of caregiving can still take its toll.

  • Lilydaisy
    Lilydaisy Member Posts: 123
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    I think it is easy to ignore our own health because it seems to change so slowly. As least it did for me. Now, after 10 years, I feel myself wearing out. I think it is time for my wife to be in MC for her own better health care, but also for mine. Both of our children would like her to stay home longer, though our daughter is a caregiver 3 days a week for half a day and sees some of the challenges. She will support my feelings. I have some misgivings because my DW will recognize she is in a different place and our dogs and I aren't around them. Has anyone else been stuck in a no-win situation like this feels?

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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