Rose Hamilton & her mother, May

Ypsilanti, MI

Our Story...

For Rose Hamilton, taking care of a mother entering third-stage Alzhemier’s disease is a life full of surprises: “it’s an adventure”, she says.

Rose is 46 and has 7 children. A former nurse’s aide, she also has a part-time job at a gas station. Rose’s mother, May, is 77 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago. Rose says watching her condition deteriorate has been difficult. “My mom was a really, really religious woman and to watch her change and to cuss…and it was like ‘oh my goodness!’ It gets hard.”

May can still use the bathroom sometimes, but Rose says she has to be reminded often. She frequently spits out her food and has a habit of leaving the water running – leading to some expensive water bills. “She’s always into something, so you have to constantly watch her.” Yet Rose says there are some positive things about taking care of her mom: “we have a lot of love…and she’s funny at times.”

To take care of May, Rose is paid $355 a month by the Home Help program. “It’s difficult when you’re at home taking care of a person and it’s 24 hours and it affects your life…if I put her in a convalescent home, they would pay twice or three times as much money…and it’s just kinda not fair.”

Rose knows exactly what she would do with a raise in pay: “I could repair my house. That is just a dream for me.” She says living with an Alzheimer’s patient can create some messy situations, including soiled carpets and holes in the walls. Being able to provide a cleaner environment for her mother, Rose says, would be a big improvement.