A Caregiver’s Story

A Caregiver’s Story: Denise

Denise has been caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, for several years. Living in a rural area, Denise balances full-time work, raising her own children, and managing the daily needs of her mother. Every day feels like a careful juggling act, and the weight of responsibility is constant.

Alzheimer’s is unpredictable. Some mornings, her mother may be calm and lucid; other times, she is frightened, confused, or agitated. Denise must constantly adapt — guiding her mother safely through routines, managing medications, and anticipating moments when memory lapses might lead to danger.

Accessing care is another challenge. Specialists and memory clinics are hours away. Appointments mean long drives, missed work, and figuring out who can care for her children in the meantime. Every trip is a reminder that the healthcare system isn’t built to support caregivers, even though they are critical to a patient’s well-being.

Yet Denise finds strength in small victories: a shared laugh when her mother remembers a story, a nurse who patiently explains a new medication, or a moment when her mother reaches out and takes her hand with recognition. These moments are fleeting but profoundly meaningful.

Caregivers like Denise are often the forgotten piece in the healthcare puzzle. They carry the emotional and logistical weight of chronic illness, manage complex care plans, and advocate tirelessly — yet their own needs are rarely addressed.

Denise says: “I’m not just caring for my mother’s body. I’m holding her life together when her memory can’t. And I often wonder — who holds me?”

Her story reminds us that patient experience isn’t only about the patient or the clinician. It’s about the people who support them — the caregivers who shoulder the unseen burdens and keep the system, and their loved ones, going.