Family members should keep an eye out for couples where one is becoming the carer for the other, even if there's no formal diagnosis. We had a situation where my f-in-law was being cared for by his dutiful wife, who resolutely concealed his condition for as long as she could in an apparent attempt to "protect" her beloved son and his children from full knowledge of what was happening. (The children were teenagers at the time, not tinies). Had we had full information earlier, we could have supported them both better, but she thought it was her duty and struggled on regardless of her own health. When he finally died of Alzheimer's it took several years before she was able to relax a bit, and several more before we found out about some of the violent and disorientating experiences she coped with. As we all get older, we should all be aware that knowing when to ask for help and support is a vital skill in caring. Paws
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