Scattered: A Caregiver's Story

Caregiving is a matter of heart and compassion. It is one of the most self-less, noble, and rewarding acts a human being can take to help a loved one who is suffering from illness or disease. It is also stressful and challenging and can lead to depression, anger, denial, and frustration. In Scattered: A Caregiver's Journey, Michelle Sumrall shares her journey as a caregiver to both her parents who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. She documents their journey from discovery through diagnosis, grieving and ultimately managing to live with these Neurocognitive Disorders. In this brief book, Sumrall explores how caregiving affects family relationships, careers, self-care, and many more facets of daily life. For sure, there were missteps along the way with regard to caregiving, household affairs, long term care, and financial decisions. But through prayer, perseverance and patience, Sumrall made it all work out. She offers practical advice that can help a person tasked with being a caregiver avoid some of the pitfalls she experienced and continues to experience.In today's political climate, many people fail to get consistent medical care, whether it be physical or mental. Sumrall believes these are cycles that we must break. Relatable stories of survival that offer paths to successfully managing the journey as a caregiver can serve to make the challenge easier.