Memoirs of a Caregiver
A Caregiver’s Story of Assisting Four Family Members with Alzheimer’s Disease
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The day we were scheduled to go to class, my mother screams at me, that she can't take it any more and bolts down the stairs and runs down the street, leaving me standing in the middle of the living room wondering what I had just witnessed. Was that what a nervous breakdown looks like? I don't know, my head hurt from the accident and since I had at this point been away from work a month, I was also, now on the phone with my boss answering questions about open issues that needed to be resolved. My plate was over flowing! And I really miss my husband and home.
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About the Book
Alzheimer’s is a memory-robbing, debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans. For most families, having just one member afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease can be devastating. In her poignant memoir, Cynthia Young shares her story of love and devotion as she learns how to care for four family members stricken with Alzheimer’s disease over a ten-year period.
Young narrates a journey filled with laughter, challenges, and sorrow as she commutes from California to Michigan to care for her mother, two aunts, and a cousin. She provides insight into how the disease progresses and gradually destroys the memory and abilities to learn, reason, make sound judgments, communicate, and carry out daily activities. While sharing her personal story and detailing how she overcame each obstacle along the way, Young also teaches other caregivers how to use valuable resources, navigate the court system as a guardian and conservator, handle the Alzheimer’s personality, and search for an assisted-living facility.
Memoirs of a Caregiver shares one woman’s inspiring story of unconditional love and courage with the hope that it will encourage and empower other caregivers to be diligent, strong, and, most importantly, to never give up.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association.
About the Author
Cynthia Young was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. After spending twenty-two years in the aerospace industry as a human resources professional, she retired in 2005 to expand her level of care for four family members who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, a caregiving journey that began in 2002. Cynthia currently lives with her husband in California, where she is at work on a book of poetry.