I’m Peggy Garrett, and I started serving seniors in 1987. After answering a routine call, I scheduled a visit to a home with a man and his wife. He was in search of information about caring for a senior. On the day of this scheduled visit, I gathered my belongings and set off to his home. I was driving down the highway and something startling caught my attention. A tiny woman, clad only in a thin nightgown, was clutching a teddy bear and wandering around confused. She appeared completely helpless and was unable to communicate. Certainly, I was very fortunate to safely get her in my car.

I had a gut instinct she was the wife of the man I was on my way to meet. Subsequently, we drove to his home, and he was not there. First, we phoned the police and then, we sat together and waited. Soon after, the man arrived home. His wife was missing, therefore he had been out all day searching for his beautiful bride. For 24 hours a day, the man took care of his bride. The man would sleep from exhaustion, and she would leave the house, as a result of being unaware of her surroundings. 

– Peggy L. Garrett, founder

In 2018…

• The average expenses for medical supplies for seniors were $273/month.
• 67% of caregivers reported using or reducing personal expenses to pay for care.
• 53% of caregivers reported the caregiving situation unplanned.

The above statistics and averages are taken from Alzheimer’s.net.

Many caregivers have no time to plan for these situations and reduce their personal expenses to take care of their loved ones. If you have your own stories and experiences, I would love to read them at the “Articles” link below. To learn more about the average costs of caregiving and medical care, please follow the “Resources” button below.