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 ounseling a
spouse caring for his wife with Alzheimer’s…
My vow to help seniors find the answers they need and
plan for their long-term care needs.
I vividly remember a client leaving my office a few
years ago. He was caring for his wife who had
Alzheimer’s. His health was slowly failing from the
stress of his caregiving. I spent time speaking with him
about getting help in the home. But he was hesitant to
admit he needed help, to open his home up to a stranger,
to acknowledge his wife wasn’t getting better, and to
allow others to see the tasks he performed for his wife.
I empathized with how he felt.
His legal work was finished. We had put together an
estate and long-term care plan that met his goals. His
powers of attorney, will, and trust all were executed
and his trust was funded.
Yet, as I walked up to my office from the conference
room, I thought to myself, if I do not help him, he will
continue to decline and he himself may become ill. Then
both he and his spouse will end up in the hospital or a
nursing home. I had always taken the time to speak with
my clients about the options available, but I knew that
was not enough for this man. His children lived out of
town. He just lived day to day doing the best he could,
not realizing the depth of the situation.
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