Saints are masochists.

Just talking from my own experience. Anyone who tries to be a 24/7 care-giver is either crazy or a saint. And I’m no saint. Yes, sometimes I’m crazy. Crazy Jim. But I know how to be sane, too. I recovered my sanity when I became an on-the-scene 8-hour-a-day care-giver. When I put in 24 hours a day at it, I was exhausted. And crazy for doing it. It made no sense. One can’t do a decent job of it. Not round-the-clock. I did Jeanne no favors by exhausting myself. That’s not love. That’s bull-headed stupidity. Oh, all I say to those who try to hang in as 24/7 care-givers, good luck. You’ll need it. I’m not necessarily saying put your loved one in a nursing home. But get help. Get relief. Maybe in your own home. Maybe in a day-care setting. If at all possible, make your care-giving an 8-hour-a-day thing. Give 8 hours of quality care. That’s better than 24-hour exhaustive care. Some care-givers sound exhausted. Maybe they are trying to be saints. Saints are masochists. –Jim Broede