My dad has Alzheimer’s, but I’m more worried about his caregiver: my mom
Glen Leggott was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 58. His daughter, Brooke Wozniak, was only 25 at the time. (Submitted by Brooke Wozniak)

Young-onset Alzheimer’s is when someone is diagnosed before the age of 65. With young-onset, caregivers are people who often are taking care of their aging parents and in-laws. Now people like my mom have to add their middle-aged spouse to that.

This disease has such a stigma and robs the identity of the person with Alzheimer’s. I get why people stopped calling and visiting; it can be hard to see someone you care about not be themselves anymore.

Except they stopped calling and visiting my mom, too.

My aunt said something that really resonated with me: “He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.”

It’s so true. He’s in his own world, and it seems a peaceful one.

The world that’s hardest is my mom’s: that of the caregiver.

Read more on the CBC.

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