OWN HEALTH. WITH US IS MARIA SHRIVER.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THESE CARE GIVERS DO IT WITHOUT
ANY PAY OR COMPENSATION, AND IT
IS REALLY, REALLY HARD WORK.
I KNOW BECAUSE I DID IT WITH MY
DAD.
DAD. BUT THERE ARE FAMILIES LIKE
ROBIN FORBES AND HER TEEN
DAUGHTER WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO
CARE FOR ROBIN’S FATHER WHO HAS
ALZHEIMER’S, AND THEY’RE ALL
STRUGGLING TO STAY AFLOAT.
>> I WORRY ABOUT MY MOM.
SHE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT ME.
SO I JUST WISH THERE WAS MORE OF
A BALANCE.
A BALANCE. >> Reporter: FOR 14-YEAR-OLD
HALEY AND HER MOM, ROBIN,
WORRYING HAS BECOME A WAY OF
LIFE.
LIFE. >> NOT THAT SHIRT, DAD.
>> Reporter: AFTER LONG DAYS AT
WORK AND SCHOOL, THEY COME HOME
TO CARE FOR THEIR 82-YEAR-OLD
FATHER AND GRANDFATHER JIM WHO
HAS ALZHEIMER’S.
HAS ALZHEIMER’S. >> I LOVE YOU, GRANDPA.
>> Reporter: A FORMAL NAVAL
OFFICER WHO LOST HIS LEG, HE
STRUGGLES WITH EVERYDAY TASKS.
SOMETIMES EVEN FORGETTING HIS
FAMILY’S NAMES.
FAMILY’S NAMES. HE’S VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE MAN
THEY GREW UP KNOWING.
>> I DESCRIBE HIM AS MY ROCK.
HE’S STRONG.
HE’S STRONG. EVERYTHING THAT YOU COULD ASK
FOR IN A DAD.
>> Reporter: JIM WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH ALZHEIMER’S LAST YEAR, SO
ROBIN MOVED HIM AND HER MOM INTO
THE TINY APARTMENT SHE SHARES
WITH HER DAUGHTER AND HER
BOYFRIEND, DEZI.
BOYFRIEND, DEZI. HE CARES FOR JIM DURING THE DAY
AND ROBIN AND HALEY CARE FOR HIM
AT NIGHT GIVING HIM HIS MEDS AND
KEEPING HIM SAFE AS HE SLIPS
INTO THE COGNITIVE FOG OF
ALZHEIMER’S.
ALZHEIMER’S. >> I WORRY ABOUT IT ALL DAY WHEN
I’M AT WORK, AND IT’S DRAINING.
IT’S EMOTIONALLY STRESSFUL.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL LIKE IN
THIS COUNTRY YOU’RE FALLING
THROUGH THE CRACKS?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. US AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: EXPERTS SAY IT’S A
NATIONAL CRISIS.
NATIONAL CRISIS. OF THE 16 MILLION FAMILY CARE
GIVERS, NEARLY 60% SUFFER FROM
HIGH EMOTIONAL STRESS.
40% SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION, AND
IT’S NOT JUST ADULTS.
250,000 KIDS UNDER 18 ALSO CARE
FOR LOVED ONES WITH ALZHEIMER’S.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DON’T KNOW
HOW TO DO THIS?
THIS IS TOO MUCH PRESSURE AND
RESPONSIBILITY?
RESPONSIBILITY? I’M GOING TO MAKE A MISTAKE?
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?
>> SOMETIMES IT IS LIKE THAT,
BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO ALWAYS
ASK MY MOM FOR HELP PAUSE THAT’S
ALWAYS PUTTING SO MUCH ON HER
PLATE.
PLATE. >> Reporter: WHAT IS IT THAT
WHAT SHE SAID THAT TOUCHED YOU
SO?
SO? >> AS HER MOM, I DON’T WANT HER
TO EVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
STUFF LIKE THAT.
I WANT HER TO WORRY ABOUT BEING
A KID.
A KID. I DON’T WANT HER TO THINK THAT
IT’S PUTTING TOO MUCH MORE ON MY
PLATE.
PLATE. >> YOU HAD IT BACKWARDS.
>> Reporter: THE STRESS IS
TAKING A TOLL SINCE HER PARENTS
MOVED IN ROBIN’S LOST 50 POUNDS
AND CAN’T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME
SHE WENT TO THE DOCTOR.
>> A LONG TIME.
>> Reporter: SO YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND HOW CARE GIVERS
SOMETIMES GET SICKER THAN THE
PEOPLE THEY’RE CARING FOR?
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. >> Reporter: BUT SHE SAYS THE
STRUGGLE IS WORTH IT.
EVERY MOMENT WITH GRANDPA A GIFT
BEFORE ALZHEIMER’S STEALS HIM
AWAY.
AWAY. >> TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME
YOU HAVE WITH YOUR LOVED ONE.
THERE IS SOME GUILT OF NOT
SPENDING TIME WITH THEM WHEN YOU
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO.
>> WHAT WAS SO MOVING, 40
MILLION CARE GIVERS IN THIS
COUNTRY, TWO-THIRDS OF WHOM ARE
WOMEN, THEY’RE ALSO WORKING AND
SO MANY ARE JUST LIKE ROBIN,
LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.
>> THE BURDEN OFTEN FALLS ON THE
WOMAN IN THIS CASE.
>> AND WHAT’S REALLY INTERESTING
IS WE DID A POLL THAT JUST CAME
OUT THIS MORNING THAT SAID A
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SAY THEY
WOULD VOTE FOR POLITICAL LEADERS
WHO TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHO
PUT IT FRONT AND CENTER, AND
YET, THEY FEEL LIKE NONE ARE.
BUT THEY HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR THE
WOMEN RUNNING.
WOMEN RUNNING. THEY THINK THAT THEY’LL PUT
FAMILY ISSUES LIKE CARE GIVING,
RESEARCH FOR ALZHEIMER’S AND
DEMENTIA FOR FRONT AND CENTER.
>> MY MOTHER WAS A CARE GIVER TO
MY GRANDMOTHER FOR A NUMBER OF
YEARS AND DID NOT FULLY
APPRECIATE THE TOLL IT WAS
TAKING ON HER PHYSICALLY,
EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY UNTIL
AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED.
>> THAT’S A HUGE ISSUE FOR CARE
GIVERS.
GIVERS. THEY’RE GETTING SICK.
ROBIN SAYING HER HEALTH HAS BEEN
DECIMATED AND THEY DON’T HAVE
TIME TO GO TO THE DOCTOR.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES
ON TODAY.COM FOR CARE GIVERS.
IT’S REALLY AN ISSUE OF OUR
TIME.
TIME. PEOPLE NOT ONLY AS I SAY, CARING
FOR CHILDREN, WORKING FULL-TIME,
AND THEN CARING FOR AGING
PARENTS.
PARENTS. MOVING THEM BACK INTO THEIR
HOMES AND IT’S REALLY HEROIC
WORK.
WORK. THEY SEE IT AS SUCH, WHICH IS