I am a caregiver and I try my best to stay optimistic it helps. If I didn't have God in my life I couldn't make it. It's true you have to stay focus on the beauty that surrounds you. This article is a great help. Thank you

Good information. The more put out there, the better. All caregivers need support.
There are so many ways to share.

If anything, this is a good reminder to [us] caregiver's to check in with ourselves more often than not. Like this article says, we should (if necessary) 'force' our inner 'selves' to take in the beautiful small things around us so we don't let depression get the best of us. I know... easier said than done... but, what's the alternative?... We're all on this ride together...Blessings...

I meant to add that I have always been an optimist and completely upbeat. I never had a hard time or had to make those difficult decisions. My cup has always been half full and I have tried to remain positive in the midst of watching my husband disappear like sand through an hourglass. And through my children and grandchildren moving away. And through having to give up my job to care for my husband. And through having my two best friends get sick and one is moving far away very soon. The other has hip issues and can't walk. I have been staying positive until all these house issues came up. All I can say is thank God I chose to care for my brother in law who died recently. He left me enough money to fix these house problems. God bless my BIL Dave. He was totally a blessing in disguise. And he was a pleasure to care for while he was in my home! He was the one I could talk to. He had Dementia too, but could still reason. God has been good to me.

Right now, my husband is not the problem. My 14 year old house has chosen this year to fall apart and I am in the midst of having to make decisions of huge repairs. In the thousands of dollars. Since my lawyer has said that I can spend down my money on the house, I am fixing things! But it is so stressful to deal with unscrupulous salesmen, and repairs when you don't know a thing about anything! I just hate making these decisions alone. My church has finally stepped up to help, so maybe now I will get some relief from having to make all these decisions!

I think the article had a few tips that can be tried to help make it a bit easier on both the care-giver n the person whom has AD. If the caregiver can at least take a few minutes to her or himself by looking at the bright clouds floating above to laying on the floor n babying talking to your pet or to taking a moment to listen to the birds chirping in the air would at least help a few minuets to get in that positive mode. Not that it will make the problem or what ever that was bothering you go away but maybe a better more relaxed for a few minuets to think before you say or do something later that u may regret.
I try everyday to outweigh the good with the bad when it comes to the mnl with AD and sometimes the bad can outweigh the good. That is where I try to find that little space of mine to rethink n redirect my mindset on how to handle things. Of course, they always don't work yet, some do work n some is better than none. I think that is what the article is trying to help us how to balance r life even though we will feel like we r riding a rollar coaster sometimes. To look at good of the outcome n not all the negative part for it will just multiply n then you r more miserable. I have to remind myself as well that, the mnl is not all their n that sometimes she don't fully understand what is going on for that time of day. That it is a shame n devastating disease such as AD that will slowly rob the person's independency. The least I can do is educate myself as I learn what works best for both of us in order to make our lives run as smooth as much as possible. Now, I have to check bathroom for poop on the toliet paper n toliet handle. Never a dull moment. ; )

Thank you so much for this article as it is not easy for us to see the glass as half full instead of empty when we get in a rut and suffer from caregiver burnout. It does not help us or the ones we care for either. It made me more grateful to have a roof over our heads and a loving home with both of my parents here in their own house instead of a nursing home. Caregiving is so much easier for us if we are not stressed out, grumpy and tired all the time. It has taken me a long time to realize that to just go with the flow instead of being so resistant and bullheaded. It also brings down the people around you down and is hard on their health and well being. This article helped so much to see that their is a light at the end of the tunnel instead of that isolated, hopeless feeling. Also was feeling kind of down feeling abandoned that I never hear from or see my "so called friends" anymore, but that is their loss and there is not much I can do. It just makes it kind of more hesitant to trust other people or let them into my life. Friendship should be more about the person than money and a bunch of bs gossip. It should be more about being there to depend on each other when you need a shoulder to cry on or just somebody to talk to when you are having a hard time and that is not so easy to find sometimes. Anyway, hope this article helps us - caregivers as well as others that are involved in the care of our loved ones.