Your decisions as a caregiver do not cause your loved one to decline.
The disease causes your loved one to decline.
We had a very hard time making certain decisions for my mom’s care. Looking back and reflecting on those decisions has allowed me to see that making those decisions was not the cause of my mom’s decline.
Alzheimer’s was the cause of her decline.
If anyone out there is struggling with this right now, please know:
Helping your loved one get dressed does not make them forget how to get dressed.
Helping your loved one use the bathroom does not make them forget how to use the bathroom.
Putting your loved one in a wheelchair does not make them forget how to walk.
Feeding your loved one only soft or puréed foods does not make them forget how to chew or swallow.
And finally, making the decision for your loved one to be bed-bound does not make them die.
Alzheimer’s causes all of that.
Not you.
You’re so lovely. Yes, us caregivers feel the undeserved guilt of thinking we played a part in something so out of our control. Take care!