Chicago Tribune

'It can be isolating': How caregivers handle the stress and find support

CHICAGO - Sandra Dennis recalls moving into her father's Englewood home after he started showing signs of dementia in his late 70s. She recalls the mental and physical drain of caring for him, including a back injury requiring surgery.

Dennis, 65, now lives in Richton Park, and tends to her daughter who suffers from health issues related to pulmonary hypertension. She tries to balance those duties with self-care, including keeping her shoulder healthy after a torn rotator cuff also required surgery.

"It can be isolating. It is stressful, but you do it because it's

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune3 min read
Sky Players Voice Confidence In New Team Identity Under Teresa Weatherspoon: ‘She’s Allowing Us To Be Ourselves’
CHICAGO — There’s just one week until Teresa Weatherspoon makes her mark on the WNBA — for the second time in her Hall of Fame career. The Chicago Sky’s new head coach will make her debut at the helm of a professional team next week with the Sky’s se
Chicago Tribune2 min read
Third Member Of Great Horned Owl Family Found Dead In Chicago's Lincoln Park
CHICAGO — The third and final member of a family of great horned owls living in Lincoln Park’s North Pond was found dead Thursday morning. Experts said the bird is suspected to have died from rodent poisoning. The adult female owl was found covered i
Chicago Tribune3 min read
‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Review: Simian, Begin Again
Strange thing: The recent 2011-17 films in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise, now joined by the chapter opening this week, follow a similar narrative cycle of peril, punishment, survival. And yet these these movies, spaced out in ways Marvel never l

Related Books & Audiobooks