Long-Distance Caregiving

The Alzheimer’s Association blog recently ran a post about the challenges of long-distance caregiving. The post features an interview with Richard Lui, a reporter for NBC and MSNBC, who flies weekly across country. Finding Joy in the Face of Alzheimer’s: Richard Lui Talks Family & Long-Distance Caregiving His interview discusses the challenges, cultural issues, how his profession helps and his moments of joy:

I find moments of joy every time I go home! My Dad is a joyous person, which is much different from his personality before the diagnosis. He was a pastor and couldn’t support the family on his salary, so he became a social worker to have a steady income, but that didn’t pay much either and he wasn’t built emotionally for social work’s noble but trying tasks. He cared too much and was often stressed.

As a social worker, he was forward with people and told them what they had to be prepared for. In a way, he was equipping himself to be the happy embracive person he is today. And there’s the silver lining. He accepts his diagnosis for what it is.

For my own part, I’ve had to accept Dad’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis spiritually and emotionally. There was a time when I would describe being with him like watching my father die in front of me. Now I see him being born again in front of me. Life is a stack of pancakes, and Alzheimer’s takes the top pancakes little by little until you’re left with none. But through this process, my father has shown me another side. He hugs me and kisses me and tells me that he loves me over and over again. This is the person he always was who I’m only now getting to know.