Caught in the Middle

Susan did not expect to come home with an extra person to care for after her vacation to Florida with her husband John. Susan had not seen her great-grandmother for 11 years and John had never met her at all. When they arrived to visit Anne in Florida, they found she was in a dire state. At 89 and suffering from dementia, she was no longer able to care for herself. Susan and John made the decision to bring Anne home with them to Missouri instead of placing her in a nursing home. Anne has been living with Susan, John, and their three children for almost a year now. When Anne moved into her home, Susan became one of more than 50 million people providing care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend each year. It has not been easy on Anne or Susan, but Susan sees the great benefits. “The children and I get to know our grandmother better, and she gets to know her grandchildren,” Susan says. “It wasn’t easy for Grandmother either. She had to leave Florida and has had to deal with losing some of her independence.”