4,000,000

People currently have Alzheimer's Disease and other Dementia.  All of them will become incontinent at some point in care.

3,000,000

(75%) of the care is done in the home by one single family member, usually a family member.

1,000,000

            Approximately

Are cared for in a combination of family and private paid home-care, supported living arrangements such as adult day-care, group homes, and full-time nursing homes.

Clearly, the lion’s share of the caregiving is being done

in the home.

Of those in supported living and nursing homes, many are still having aspects of their hygiene care managed by family members. That is a whole lot of caregivers changing adult diapers for people with this disease. That group of caregivers includes:

*  Those who have an abiding connection with their people.

 

*  Those who never developed a close relationship with the family

    member they now are very much in charge of. 

 

*  Those who were abused by the family member they now are

     very much in charge of.

 

*  Those who are professional paid workers who have no familial

     connection with their charges.

Those caregivers are, in varying combinations:

       - Daughters diapering fathers       - Grandchildren diapering grandparents

       - Sons diapering mothers             - In-laws diapering parents

       - Husbands diapering wives          - Friends diapering friends

       - Wives diapering husbands         -  Paid workers diapering patients

People, from all walks of life have taken on this challenge in spite of the taboos and attitudes that surround it.  Having talked with caregivers who fit into all of the above categories; each found the experience to be less traumatic than expected. Incontinence care evolved into just another task to do, and they all grew to see that this aspect of the disease had little to do with the essence of who they or their family members are as people.  But, they had to permit themselves the luxury of seeing it that way.

The message I’m trying to deliver is that you are not alone facing this level of care. In fact you are among the majority of caregivers dealing with this disease.  None of us know what we can do until we have to do it, that is the one reality of life.  Most importantly, someone has to take on these tasks, because our people really have no choice in the matter.

©2000