CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado – September 12, 2021

The Caring Generation® Wishing a Sick Parent Would Die

Golden CO- Caregiver subject matter expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation® podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, September 15, 2021, Wilson shares confessions from burned-out caregivers. Caregivers feel judged by family members and others who are not caregivers for making statements like I wish a sick parent would die or no one understands the sacrifices I make as a caregiver.

The guest for this program is Dr. Mellissa Withers from the Keck School of Medicine, who shares research about a form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease-specific to the Hispanic population. Individuals as young as thirty or forty years old are being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Shared are familial concerns about diagnosis, the effect on young children and spouses who lose partners so early in life.   

Wilson releases new shows for The Caring Generation series each Wednesday. Featured are tips and conversations about aging, caregiving, family relationships, and managing the healthcare maze. Also shared are interviews and research from experts worldwide about health prevention and planning. Episodes of The Caring Generation are available on Wilson's website, podcast, and music apps worldwide.

Caregiver Confessions

Family members, who are NOT involved in caring for aging parents, tell the primary caregiver that mom or dad appears to be doing great based on a 10-minute phone call or an occasional once-a-month visit. However, it's not what happens during these brief visits with family, but during the other 23 hours of each day, that tells the true story of the care needs of an aging parent.  

On this episode, Wilson shares insights from caregivers about the stresses associated with care responsibilities. Concerns discussed include:

• Wishing a sick parent would die so that caregiving responsibilities end
• The sacrifices caregivers make when caring for elderly parents that are complicated by a lack of family support
• Caregivers feeling unable to satisfy the needs of elderly parents
• Caregiver thoughts of suicide, anger, and resentment
• Uncertainty about being able to continue in the caregiving role

Restoring Balance to Caregiving Relationships

Caregivers experience burnout when an imbalance exists between care responsibilities and the rest of their lives. During this program, Wilson offers suggestions for caregivers to realize that doing everything for aging parents is not always possible or practical. Investigating care options can benefit aging parents and provide exposure to activities, socialization, and daily care.

Choices can be eliminated by waiting too long to research care options for aging parents. Care needs and costs increase when elderly parents fall and break a hip or suffer other advancing healthcare conditions. Caregivers who seek early education and support can learn to manage parents' health concerns, reduce crises situations, and the possibility of experiencing caregiver burnout.   

Interview With Dr. Mellissa Withers – Keck School of Medicine About Early-Onset Alzheimer's disease

Mellissa Withers, Ph.D., MHS, an Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences joins Wilson to discuss a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease among Latino populations. She is also Director of the Global Health Program of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a non-profit network of 60 universities in the Asia-Pacific.

Withers received a Ph.D. from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health with a minor in cultural anthropology and earned a Master's in International Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA in international development from UC Berkeley.  The editor of two books, she has published more than 50 scientific articles and serves on the editorial boards of six international global health journals. In addition, she has been working on Alzheimer's-related research among Latinos for eight years.

Wilson supports family caregivers, groups, and corporations worldwide by offering education for caregivers about managing, planning, and navigating issues of health and aging. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care, individual elder care consultations, caregiver support, webinars, speaking engagements, and brand collaborations are on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at +1 303-810-1816 or through the contact Me page on her website.

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