@hikingcaver

I know what you mean by needing a break. I have to take my husband every place that I go because I don't think that it is safe to leave him alone. I wanted to find someone who could watch him for a couple of hours while I went to get a haircut or went to get groceries. A social worker gave me the name of a couple of agencies. The caregiving agencies had a 12 to 14 hour a week minimum at $40.00 to $48.75 an hour which would amount to $560.00 or $585.00 a week and they stipulated that it would have to be ongoing and not for only one week. Kind of spendy for a haircut or to go for groceries!!! This is so difficult because I wouldn't want to have someone watch him who hadn't gone through a background check or who wasn't knowledgeable regarding Alzheimer's disease.
Next month it will be 3 years since my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I have to admit that this has been the hardest 3 years of my life. Time has changed the way I am feeling about a memory care center for my husband. We have been married for 58 years, and I love him very much, but I can't go on like this. I am 80 years old and I'm exhausted.