ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — Life-changing illness often forces families to find care for their loved ones. Many times family members themselves are giving that care, but it can be difficult to find local resources to answer their questions.

One disease that can leave people caring for their family members is Alzheimer's disease. More than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease. Now that more people are choosing not to put their loved ones in nursing homes for illnesses like Alzheimer's, they're faced with finding help on their own.

Betty Wingerter said she and her husband Ron are at a time in life when they should be going on a cruise or doing the things they wanted to do when they retired.

But cruises aren't an option for the couple. Ron's Alzheimer's disease is Betty's full time job.

"I didn't have any training. This was a surprise," Betty said. "[The disease] just came out of nowhere."

Betty said when she first found out about her husband's illness, she was overwhelmed and scared to death. When she made the decision four years ago to care for her husband of 46 years, Betty became a statistic. She's one of millions in the family caregiving industry.

The head of the social work department at St. Mary's, JoAnne Burke, Ph.D, told WSBT if we were to put a market value on family caregiving, it's worth billions of dollars a year.

Dr. Burke also said Betty's fear is normal.

"People don't know where to start," she explained. "And often what's happening is something will happen. A family member will be hospitalized. It's a crisis. And then all of a sudden, what to do?"

Betty decided to reach out. She found Milton Adult Day Center in South Bend. It's a place where she can take Ron while she runs errands. She also found local meetings about Alzheimer's.

Betty said the meetings can explain things that make it so much easier to deal on a day to day basis.

Ron's condition continues to deteriorate. He's in one of the last stages of the disease. He rarely talks. Lately, Betty started cutting up his food.

"Sometimes if I wake up at night and I go in to cover him up, I realize what we've lost," she said with teary eyes. "We worked hard. We raised our kids. We were looking forward to retirement."

It's not what they planned, but Betty is making the best of her situation.

"You can still have a good life," she told WSBT.

There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. It's currently the 7th leading cause of death. Keep in mind, this is just one of many illnesses forcing family members to care for their loved ones.

The good news for family caregivers is they can find help locally.

A caregiver conference is scheduled to take place Thursday, March 6 at Holy Cross Campus in Vincent Hall. Health experts will talk from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. The cost for professionals is $25 and $10 for family caregivers.

For more information call Pat Adams at (574) 239-8364.

Links to More Community Resources
South Bend's REAL Services for Elderly & Disabled
Link-Age: Aging Resource Connection
Alzheimer's Association
Indiana Association of Adult Day Services
National Alliance for Caregiving