I read divvi's beautiful poem, but it didn't resonate with me personally. What do you call yourself, besides caregiver, when you are not giving care? My husband bathes himself, dresses himself, can make meals, drives, is not incontinent, in other words, does not require my care. I read the posts of all that are truly giving care, and I think of myself as an impostor calling myself a caregiver.
Kitty, you are still a caregiver in another sense of the word, just because you 'care' about him personally. you dont have to offer the handson help like some of us here to be included in the term. you were thrown here by fate and learned that your husband is suffering a form of dementia just like ours, only from a different cause of disease. sooner or later if you chose to stay with him or not, he will need help at some point whether it comes from you in the marriage or not-that will be your choice. my poems dont have to resonate to a particular area of the nitty gritty caregiving but because you care about him as a person and because you care about the people here as well just by adding valuable input. that alone earns you the label. divvi
Kitty-Bill is in a dementia facility so I do not do hands on care giving. I am still responsible for everything about his care. I have lost as many of my dreams and hopes as any one else-and so have you. Meow
One of the women in my support group coined the term, "care partner", because she feels that she and her husband are in this thing together. I don't much care for the term, but I just put it out there as an FYI.