My name is Patricia Jean Smith. My husband is Ron Smith. I was sixty-five and Ron was sixty-nine on the day our lives changed, the day our lives went sideways. It was November 19, 2012, the day that Ron awoke feeling odd, the day he ultimately suffered a massive ischemic stroke to his brain stem […]
Managing Risk When Caring For Someone
We received a call from a spouse caring for her husband, who is living with a brain injury. She struggles with balancing being the “sheriff” and supporting her husband’s desire for autonomy and independence. She explains how the other day her husband was up on a ladder hanging Christmas lights by himself. There were no […]
Strategies for Spousal Caregivers
Lisa has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for over five years. She and her partner, Michael, just celebrated 20 years together. Each have children from their previous relationships, and both are still working part-time. As Lisa’s symptoms worsen, she requires more assistance. Michael is struggling to balance the demands of being a partner and […]