(From the February/March 2025 issue of Brain & Life Magazine)
Tracy Cram Perkins understands the toll of caregiving. For more than 16 years, she looked after her parents, an uncle, and an aunt—all battling different forms of dementia. Her mother experienced postoperative cognitive decline following anesthesia, her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, an aunt had vascular dementia, and an uncle had early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her relatives had other chronic illnesses, too, including diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, and heart disease. They all eventually needed wheelchairs, further intensifying the demands on her. “Like many caregivers, I struggled with depression, anxiety, and guilt,” says Perkins, author of Dementia Home Care: How to Prepare Before, During, and After.