Retired Couple Navigates Care Challenges

Carol Colborn, 77, a retired academic from Mesa, Arizona, reflects on her life with her husband, William, whom she married in 2008 when she was 60 and he was 65. They enjoyed a remarkable adventure, spending eight years RV-ing full-time across North America, visiting every US state, Mexican state, and Canadian province, along with 29 countries worldwide. Their travels came to a halt after William was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, but they cherish the memories they created during those years.

William initially showed mild symptoms, mostly forgetfulness. For example, he often misremembered items on a shopping list I wrote for him. An evening ritual we had involved him bringing me a mug of herbal tea while we watched TV, an act that was comforting for both of us. But when he slipped up and forgot to bring it one evening, I was heartbroken.

Over the first four years, William’s condition progressed from mild cognitive impairment to moderately severe Alzheimer’s. I became his primary caregiver, managing his medications, meals, and bathing while he often stayed in bed. Our evening walks became a cherished routine, even if they were short.

Facing New Health Challenges

Then, in July 2025, I faced my own health crisis with a lung cancer diagnosis. After surgery in September and a four-day hospital stay, my daughter and William’s daughter helped care for him, although it was challenging since they lived far away. Balancing their needs with my own health struggles was overwhelming.

Transport became a significant expense since William had stopped driving, and I never learned. We found ourselves spending around $500 monthly on Uber rides for appointments and treatments, which forced us to stay home more often than we would have liked.

Struggles with Medicare

As time went on, it felt like our world shrank. We stopped attending church or seeing friends, and even simple date nights became impossible. Navigating the Medicare system was exhausting—it was like fighting an uphill battle for every benefit.

This year, I stumbled upon an ad on Facebook for a service called Ez Health, which promised to help with Medicare applications. It mentioned new legislation, the Community Health Integration program, designed to support people wanting to remain in their homes. This discovery felt like a ray of hope.

Thanks to this program, we were assigned a health advocate who guided me through qualification. Suddenly, we started receiving benefits I had struggled to obtain, including eight hours of respite care weekly and access to in-home medical professionals.

Renewed Freedom and Connection

We also discovered a subsidized paratransit service, which significantly reduced our transportation costs to just $3 per ride. This opened up our lives again, allowing us to attend appointments and enjoy date nights, which have rejuvenated our marriage.

Now, I prefer to refer to myself as William’s “present companion” rather than just his caregiver. As I help him navigate these years, our relationship continues to evolve amidst the challenges we face together.