For years, Alzheimer’s has dominated the conversation around aging and decline. It became the shorthand for old-age memory loss: "Why did I walk into this room?" And while it is insidious, something scary is taking place now.

Parkinson’s disease is now the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, outpacing Alzheimer’s in new diagnoses. And like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s requires long-term care. The typical run for Alzheimer’s is 15 years, but Parkinson’s can last much, much longer.

⚠️That changes everything for caregivers.

This issue of Refuel is about long-term illness—how it unfolds, how it breaks families slowly rather than suddenly, and how caregivers can protect themselves while caring for someone whose illness may last 10, 20, or even 30 years.

We are at a crisis level, and it’s a conversation families need to have now.

Alzheimer’s is often described as a memory disease.
Parkinson’s is a nervous system disease.

It affects:

Many people with Parkinson’s remain mentally sharp for years—sometimes decades—while their bodies slowly betray them.

That means caregivers aren’t just managing decline.
They’re managing time.

Long time horizons. Long grief. Long responsibility. This is the ultimate stressor, as you have to manage the disease and the financial challenges that accompany it over many years.

Parkinson’s caregiving is uniquely exhausting because:

This is not an acute crisis of caregiving.
This is endurance caregiving.

Here’s the part no one wants to say out loud:

Chronic stress, sleep deprivation, inflammation, and neglecting your own body create conditions that make caregivers vulnerable—especially women over 40.

1. Sleep (Non-Negotiable)
Poor sleep is linked to neurodegeneration.
If you’re not sleeping, you are doing damage to your own health. I didn’t sleep for 7 months because my mom stopped sleeping. It was awful.

2. Metabolic Health
Insulin resistance, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction show up before neurological disease.

Eat to stabilize blood sugar.
Build muscle.
Walk daily.

3. Nervous System Regulation
Constant vigilance damages the brain.
You need daily moments where nothing is required of you.

4. Environmental Awareness
Pesticides, solvents, and industrial chemicals are increasingly linked to Parkinson’s risk.
This matters more than most people realize.

Caregivers are often exposed twice—through the environment and stress.

If you’re caring for someone with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or another long-term illness, the goal is not heroism.

The goal is sustainability.

Stop asking, “How do I do this for the rest of my life?”
Start asking, “What does the next phase require?”

Plan in 6–12 month increments. Or one day at a time.

You cannot be the only system.

That means:

You are allowed to love deeply and delegate care.

Love does not require physical exhaustion.

Long-term neurological disease changes mood, impulse control, fear, and perception.

This is not a moral failure.
It is biology.

🔴➡️Knowing that protects your heart. I cannot recommend meditation more. You have the challenge of caring for another person and for yourself. Don’t neglect your health while trying to take care of another.

Long-term disease is not just about decline.

It’s about:

Caregivers don’t need more platitudes.

They need permission:

💛💛And if you love a caregiver - don’t just call with your ideas and suggestions - go pick up a shift!! They need the help whether they ask for it or not!💛💛

If you are caring for someone with a long-term disease, you are doing amazing work that is often exhaustive and unpaid.

It’s okay to be tired. It’s okay to be overwhelmed.

Your job is not to endure endlessly.
Your job is to outlast without disappearing.

🔥And you are allowed to refuel—early, often, and unapologetically.

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🔥You got this.🔥

Love you.

judith.