Sometimes I'm surprised when the caregiver of an Alzheimer's patient tells me that only another Alzheimer's caregiver can understand how difficult it is to care for his or her family member. A social worker once asked, doubtfully, if I would be comfortable speaking to the problems of stroke patient caregivers, since my husband was brain-injured rather than suffering from the impacts of a stroke. These other disabling diseases or disorders are forms of brain injuries aren't they? Have you ever known a brain injury that's the same as any other? They're all different and yet all the same.

Sometimes the decisions we make with our brain-injured family members are heart-wrenchingly difficult. Clearly we have a responsibility to protect them from making mistakes when they don't understand the significance of their actions. But we are often faced with a situation where our efforts to protect them may also mean that we limit their growth and freedom.