Denise Brault, caregiver for her spouse and member of GASO

Denise Brault has been caring for her spouse with Alzheimer's disease at home for 5 years. She describes herself as a patient person with an easy smile. Her love for music has always been a part of her life and continues to play an important role in her daily routine, in addition to her affection for reading and the nature that surrounds her.

This context of spousal caregiving presented itself differently in Denise's daily life compared to her previous experience caring for her mother, for whom she was the sole caregiver. Thus, these two caregiving relationships involved their share of unknowns; in fact, when she was caring for her mother, she could return home and distance herself from her caregiving situation, whereas this new caregiving relationship does not allow her to do so.

At the time, being able to take a break from the intense emotions that the caregiving relationship could bring was very beneficial for her. However, the caregiving role she now occupies with her spouse complicates taking time for herself. Allowing herself moments just for her remains an important challenge for Denise, who works at her own pace to engage in self-care activities for her well-being. Despite her extensive expertise in caregiving – Denise is a founding member of the Groupe des aidants du Sud-Ouest (GASO) – she often feels helpless and powerless in the face of her spouse's illness and sometimes feels she has to revisit what she already knows well, to help herself. "Sometimes I feel like a shoemaker with no shoes," she explains to express this feeling that inhabits her in her caregiving relationship.

A great strength evident in Denise is her optimism, which leads her to seek out more information when she doesn't feel equipped or is uncertain about an action to take in a given situation. The conferences of the Alzheimer Society and GASO, as well as the support groups of GASO, are resources that help her in her daily life and allow her to normalize what she is experiencing. The advice or shared exchanges often give her hints of solutions, sometimes applicable to her own caregiving relationship.

To you, dear caregivers, Denise advises "to try to seek information and not be ashamed to talk about your caregiving situation."