Colleen Henderson, 77, is the informal caregiver for her 82-year-old husband Ernest, who has heart disease, diabetes, an ulcer in his foot, and a deteriorating memory.
Six months ago, Ernest had a heart attack and while he is doing a lot better now, his weeks are full of doctor appointments, visits to the hospital, visits from nurses and blood tests administered by his wife. For Colleen, her week doesn’t look any different. As Ernest’s caregiver, she’s responsible for organizing all of it and accompanying him to all his appointments. It’s a difficult job especially considering she has to take care of all the house work, bill payments, and daily chores as well.
“If I could ask for anything, it’d be time,” she said. “It’s a twenty-four-seven job,” As she said this, her eyes began to water. She paused and quickly leaned over to grab a tissue. As she composed herself, she quietly whispered to me, “What if I get sick? What would we do?”
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