I've always had a nagging feeling of guilt that when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's I should have cared for her myself. I know that this would have been impractical as I have a demanding job and two children at school.
I've seen this referred to as the sandwich generation - caring for children and ageing parents at the same time leaves you feeling like a thin slice of cheese. Fifty years ago it would be normal for each generation to have children in their twenties so grandparents would be in their 40s or 50s and children would have left home by the time parents became elderly. Now that we're often waiting to have children until our late thirties or older the demands of young children and ageing parents happen at the same time.
This excellent article describes Andrea Gillie's experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer's herself and really helped me in coming to terms with this feeling of guilt. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/01/andrea-gillies-mother-in-law-alzheimers
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