Caregivers finding someone to lean on

Larry Atencio knew his father had had diabetes for years. But he was still shocked by what he saw a year and a half ago, when he went home to visit.

"Everything was upside down," says Atencio, 44. His dad couldn't get out of bed to go to the bathroom; his mother couldn't lift him.

"She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown," Atencio says. "I had a pretty good job in Denver, but . . . my parents needed me, so I just followed my heart."

That meant moving 70 miles to Colorado Springs and becoming a full-time caregiver.

Atencio's heart may have told him what he should do, but it certainly didn't tell him how to do it.

That's the case for most people who end up caring for an aging parent, spouse, or other relative. They have no training in caregiving and no real idea what to do or what to expect.

But there is help. A growing number of classes, support groups, therapy and respite care options are becoming available for the USA's growing army of overextended caregivers.

Often, however, taking care ... // 77% Remaining