The Voices of Alzheimer's Caregivers

June 25, 2009— -- Caregiving is truly a labor of love.

In a roundtable discussion for the ABCNews.com OnCall+ Alzheimer's section, four caregivers of family members with Alzheimer's disease -- Alice, Maureen, Phyllis, and Joe -- reveal the day-to-day struggles they face looking after a loved one with this common form of dementia.

All four take part in an Alzheimer's support group that meets twice a month, one of the many organized throughout the country by the Alzheimer's Association. Support groups provide a comfortable and compassionate setting for participants to talk about the trials and tribulations of this neurodegenerative disease, which over time, gradually robs a person of his or her memory and reasoning skills.

Below you'll find links to the conversations of the four participants in this six-part transcript, which covers some of the common concerns and questions that come up when caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease, along with some tips and lessons learned during various stages of the disease.

Read Part One (Seeking Out a Support Group): Although they chose to begin their participation at different stages of the disease and for various reasons, find out why the caregivers sought out a support group in their community.

Read Part Two (Warning Signs): The four caregivers recall the early clues and signals of Alzheimer's disease they first saw in their loved ones.