← Return to Introductions: Are you caring for someone with dementia?

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@jshdma

@debbraw Good suggestions, which I would love to implement. Problem is--no family agreement. My sister will die for him, if that's what it comes to. If I drop out, that will happen. Indeed, there are support services, but my brother will not allow or accept anything. I used to go over and clean his apartment. Then he changed the locks and shut me out. So my sister is paying for maid service.

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Replies to "@debbraw Good suggestions, which I would love to implement. Problem is--no family agreement. My sister will..."

Fine, debbraw. Let your sister pay for maid service. I doubt that your sister will actually die for him, but she can make a fool out of herself before she reaches a reasonable limit. I really understand the situation, as my sister-in-law enabled her brother who lived in a car with a dog and had her get his prescriptions for him. She finally got him some kind of assisted living until he died, but she kept his dog at her house for him. She already had a dog, in the house, of course. When your brother changed the locks, you were under no moral obligation to continue to be involved much. I reported a couple of relatives to the county health department because I knew they had programs to get involved and improve the lot of the people with dementia. One nurse went to court and got my aunt put in a nursing home because she was in bad shape and recognized no one. The nephew got access to the CD's and their savings disappeared, as well as a basement full of valuable antiques. That upset my sister, but I just laughed and was grateful the county took care of the couple.
Most of the time there is not family agreement to helping with care, so we do what we think is the right thing, including for us. My daughter, who manages my money and pays my bills, refused to allow me to contribute to my sister's benefit because my sister would have used it for her grandson who kept her in poverty most of the time. We must make decisions and not feel guilty. Dorisena