Finding care for mom makes his own life sweeter

Mr C is the primary caregiver for his mother, who was diagnosed with dementia several years ago. Mr C had been a nurse before a physical disability prevented him from working a few years ago.  Although his mother has a home attendant, Mr C spends much of his time caring for his mother and doing things that the home attendant could do.  Caring for his mother has resulted in significant marital conflict. Mr C’s  spouse was upset about the amount of time her husband spends caring for his mother–leaving little time for activities with her. Through the caregiver program, the social worker conducted a home visit and assessed the couple’s needs.  The Social Worker helped the couple to share their respective concerns and helped Mr C to set more boundaries for himself in terms of caring for his mother and letting the home attendant take the lead on care. Furthermore, the Social Worker assisted the couple with selecting an overnight respite program, with the overall goal of having some time to spend with each other, strengthening their marital bond.