Yahoo Life – This Canadian caregiver says looking after her mother-in-law makes her ‘feel alone.’ An expert says the Sandwich Generation can’t forget self-care

When Celina’s mother-in-law, Ines, started feeling forgetful, experiencing vision trouble and showing other signs of decline, it was Celina’s idea to invite her to move into the home she shared with her husband and teenage son. She herself had grown up with her grandparents under the same roof and a father who instilled in her and her siblings that “family is the most important thing.”

While Celina and her family knew it would be an adjustment having her mother-in-law there full-time, caring for Ines has proven more challenging than they expected. Scary incidents like leaving the front door open and forgetting to turn off their gas stove have them feeling “constantly on edge.”

Celina’s struggles are, unfortunately, an all-too-common part of caregiving.

“Canadian caregivers are juggling a lot: Managing medications, providing daily care, navigating health-care systems, all while trying to care for themselves,” says Liv Mendelsohn, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, a program of The Azrieli Foundation. “But self-care often feels like just another task on an already overfull plate.”