Mom’s Unexpected Walk Home Earns Caregiver a Judgmental Stare

Caregiving for an aged loved one can be a tough obstacle course, especially when dementia enters the picture.

While serving as sole caregiver for my mother for over three years, I learned many tough lessons about patience, keeping your eyes open for changes, and not being afraid to ask for help, though this last one was late in coming.

One hot day in early September 2023, I took my famously stubborn mother for what would be one of her last hair appointments at the salon in Highland Park Village.

Noticing she had once again forgotten her phone, I gave her mine when we arrived, not wanting her to be without one. Scanning for a parking space and finding none, I dropped her off, as I often did, reminding her to call me at her nu

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