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Dear Margaret: Aug. 6, 2009

Dear Margaret,
You may be the only person that I can talk to about this.  Our parents told us never to air our dirty laundry in public but I simply have to tell someone.

Our family has never been close and was what people call dysfunctional. My brother and sister and I never got along and Sis did some pretty bad things to me when I was young. To make a long story short my sister is now quite ill and I am her designated caregiver. There is no extra money to hire someone, so that seems out of the question. 

Most days I just survive, but recently have started to have some illnesses myself and am concerned about how long I will be able to continue taking care of my sister. My brother rarely helps and it is more trouble than it’s worth to ask him to come over and stay with her for a few hours.

I feel trapped.  Do you have any suggestions?

— Overwhelmed in Loveland

Dear Overwhelmed,
You have come to the right place. I want to give you a pat on the back for all of the good things that you are doing. The feelings that you are having are normal and many others have felt the same way in your circumstances. The good news is that there is a Family Caregiver Support Program in your area.

Help is available. There are resources right here in Larimer County that you can tap into with a simple phone call. From finding answers to those difficult questions you face every day, to accessing dementia resources, support groups, caregiver education, getting some much needed time for yourself and maybe even some ways to get help from your brother.

For information on these and other services call the Office on Aging, Family Caregiver Support Program at (970) 498-7758 to request a Caregiver Toolkit or visit the website at www.larimer.org/seniors [1].

Sincerely, Margaret


E-mail your aging issue question to Seniors@Berthoud Recorder.com.

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