照顧失智嬤20年 開銷燒掉一棟房

聯合報記者李青縈

六十歲就失智的奶奶，當時無人知曉照顧路有多漫長，每個月三萬的照顧成本，讓家人疲於奔命，爸媽悉心照顧奶奶，一照顧就是廿多年，前後燒掉一棟房的費用。這段照顧路上，嚴重影響全家關係，小杰（化名）的求學路也得「省錢」，被迫選擇念軍校。

天主教失智老人社會福利基金會社工處長陳俊佑表示，小杰的案例比比皆是，小杰的爸爸當時為了照顧奶奶，與媽媽關係數次鬧僵，這條照顧路上還遇上二○○八年的金融海嘯，全家經濟瞬間跌到谷底，差一點爬不起來，後續是主動向相關團體求援，才勉強支撐起家庭，而奶奶則在八十多歲時離世。

同樣也是照顧失智患者負荷過重的案例，一名年約六十五歲的女性，中風後出現「血管型失智症」，初期行動穩定，但隨著病程惡化，臥床、便溺、失語紛紛出現，身為照顧者的秀芳（化名），在家得隨時幫媽媽翻身，又得照顧身障弟弟，短短五年積蓄幾乎用光，她的身心也出現問題，最後牙一咬，花錢聘雇外籍看護幫忙，才得以獲一絲喘息。

陳俊佑表示，研究指出失智餘命約七年多，但確診後受妥適照顧，存活數十年的患者大有人在，壽命延長卻造成照顧者重擔。不少家庭一開始會選擇自己照顧，但面對失智者的病程、身心狀態等都不易處理，若是沒有適當自我調適或休息，容易引發家暴事件，鼓勵失智家庭適時對外求助，降低照顧風險。

https://tw.news.yahoo.com/照顧失智嬤20年-開銷燒掉-棟房-222550270.html

John McDermott - The Old Man (With Lyrics)

The tears have all been shed now

Weve said our last good-byes

His souls been blessed and hes laid to rest

And its now I feel alone

He was more than just a father

A teacher my best friend

He can still be heard in the tunes we shared

When we play them on our own

I never will forget him for he made me what I am

Though he may be gone memory lingers on

And I miss him ... The old man

As a boy hed take me walkin

By mountian field and stream

And he showed me things not known to kings

And secret between him and me

Like the colors of the pheasant

As he rises in the dawn

And how to fish and make a wish

Beside the holly tree

I never will forget him for he made me what I am

Though he may be gone memory lingers on

And I miss him ... The Old Man

I thought hed live forever

He seemed so big and strong

But the minutes fly and the years roll by

For a father and his son

And suddenly when it happened

There was so much left unsaid

No second chance to tell him thanks

For everything hes done

I never will forget him for he made me what I am

Though he may be gone memory lingers on

And I miss him ... The Old Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ciwefiEiU