GREENSBORO, N.C. — November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Month and National Caregivers Month. A lot of the focus on Alzheimer’s is on the patient who’s struggling with memory issues and cognitive decline, which is important. Given the nature of the disease, caregivers play a crucial role in the care of the people who are dealing with Alzheimer’s. Caregivers are usually adult children who take care of their parents with Alzheimer’s. Sometimes, caregivers can have different opinions of the best way to take care of their loved one who has Alzheimer’s.
Parents have different relationships with their adult children, meaning they may show different sides of themselves to other adult children. A parent may establish independence with their son, whereas with their adult daughter, they may show emotional difficulties. If the adult children don’t see consistent things in their parents, they can disagree on how to best care for mom or dad.
Sibling rivalry isn’t just for childhood; it can continue into adulthood. This means that siblings can use their parent with Alzheimer’s as a pawn in the rivalry, such as when a sibling can see the parent or they can withhold medical information or updates about mom or dad.
Before you start a conversation, keep this in mind. All decisions should be about what’s best for mom or dad with Alzheimer’s. It’s not about you or your siblings hurt feelings, unresolved issues, or whatever you think is unfair. When you talk, keep your parents top of mind for all decisions.
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