Monterey, CA Respite Is Critical If You Are Caring For A Loved One Full Time

There was a sad, and not uncommon, story in The New York Times called “Putting Life on Pause To Care for Her Parents.”  It told the tale of how difficult life had become for Susan Bowers, a 61-year old who spent 12 years caring for her parents.  Following the death of both parents, Susan was flat broke and had to call a poverty center and beg for $750 to cover her rent.  She went on food stamps, which gave her just $69 per month in vouchers.  Sadly, she spent so much time focusing on caring for her parents that she had lost track of her own finances and had to move from the apartment she shared with her mother before she died into a studio apartment.  “It was 12 years ago that I stopped living my own life,” Ms. Bowers told The Times.  “My father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, I knew what was ahead.”  If you are caring for a loved one, take some time to yourself.  It’s critical that some respite is in the care equation or you can quickly become depressed and lose track of important things that are going on in your own life.