Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's

An AOL news article this morning 11/10/09 caught my eye about a man by the name of Bobby Yurkanim located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida whom is out on bond but awaiting his trial scheduled for January 2010 for allegedly killing his Father in 2005 whom suffered from this dreaded disease!

My Father too suffered from Alzheimer's for about 10 years although my Mother, his caregiver, saw signs way before his 65th birthday when he suffered a mini stroke! My father suffered what at first was called dementia and then full blown alzheimers! From being a very 'intelligent' man but reduced to someone whom no longer could dress himself / nor feed himself it was stressful yes, but Id never think of getting rid of my Father because my life was disrupted! There are many a day and/or night now where I don't feel sad as too how I would feel when my Father [whom has been dead 17 & 1/2 yrs] would walk up to 'strangers' and put out his hand and say hello. So many times I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me and was surprised one time when indeed the person my Father was greeting was a former employee!

Eventually my Mother had to put my Father into a nursing facility because he became too hard to care for; he began to be abusive and one time threw lotion into my face. But every day my Mother would visit my Father for lunch and then have him walk for exercise [because for protection he was put into a wheelchair] and then would help the aides put him to bed for his nap! Every evening if we could one or both of us would go to feed him his dinner, to give him some exercise by walking the halls and then together we got him bathed and ready for bed! Sometimes a Nurses aid would help us but they were so short staffed. We did this for almost 2 & 1/2 years. My Mother grieved for my Father after his death for 5 years and then she became sick and died 10 yrs later! I would not like to see any of my siblings and/or friends get this dreaded disease!