Karen Hatch: NH can do better with Alzheimer's respite funds for caregivers

When most people think of Alzheimer's disease, they picture an older person slowly losing their memory. They don't envision someone in their fifties—someone with decades of life ahead—being told they can no longer work, drive, or engage in lifelong hobbies. They don't imagine a spouse suddenly becoming both a full-time caregiver and the sole provider for their family. Yet this is the reality I've been living since my husband Joe was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at age 56.