#5: Guilt in Caregiving (part 2 of interview with caregiver Alice)

Parkinson's Disease Caring Podcast

Caregivers for loved ones with Parkinson's disease experience guilt. There are many reasons why a caregiver may experience guilt along the journey and the severity of the guilt certainly varies. For example, caregivers may feel guilty when taking time away from their duties to pursue personal time. You may feel guilt when you compare how you are handling certain situations to other caregivers. Caregivers may struggle with balancing demands on their time from other personal responsibilities or health problems.
One of the most difficult situations that Parkinson's disease caregivers face is the decision of placing their loved one in a living center for higher level of care. Alice faced this decision and experienced tremendous guilt from her own internal feelings about the decision as well as from her husband's comments and behavior regarding this life change. Alice offers great advice for dealing with this important decision and how she finds peace in her life.