Alzheimer’s and Caregiving
My Mother and Father have been subjects of my image making since the first time I picked up a camera as a child. When I began to notice that they were having difficulty with their mental capacity, it didn’t occur to me to discontinue photographing them. I now have a substantial, twelve year long, visual record of what it looks like when aging parents slowly descend into Alzheimer’s disease. I also kept rough journals outlining events and the feelings involved with dealing with them. My experience taught me that I was not prepared for what was ahead of me, neither legally nor emotionally. What does one do when siblings and family are not willing to assist in caregiving efforts? How does one handle a father that has become belligerent and aggressive, or a mother that becomes totally dependent on their child to make every decision for her? How do these things effect my image making as these relationships change? Can the anger, frustration, and fear be found in my images.