Our closely-knit family found itself in a situation it simply could not handle on its own any longer. My dad began to suffer from acute dementia. This insidious illness is heartbreaking, and, if one is honest, exhausting and at times frustrating. At the same time, my mom was diagnosed and has since been battling cancer. Each of these tragedies have taken an enormous toll on my dad and mom, and it became clear that no matter how hard we tried, we could not keep up with what they needed ourselves. We needed to work, sleep, and take care of other demands as well. We reached out to Caring Senior Service.