💛 Patrick Dempsey Recalls Caring for His Mother (AARP Article)

[Winter2025VA]

FROM THE ARTICLE.

Patrick Dempsey Recalls the ‘Tremendous Stress’ of Being a Caregiver for His Late Mother.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star says caregivers need more support: ‘There’s sometimes when you’re just not strong’.

By Andre Ellington, AARP. Published June 24, 2025.

Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey, 59, recently shared his journey as a caregiver for his late mother, Amanda Dempsey, who battled ovarian cancer for 17 years. ​​“In my mother’s case, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the late 90s,” Dempsey said in an Instagram video. “Then over the next 14 years, she would have 12 reoccurrences, so it had a profound impact on our family, and everybody in the family handles it differently. ​​“It’s important to identify the strengths of the family and weaknesses of the family and then build the support group around that.” ​

The Ferrari actor then said that while his sister, who worked in a hospital, handled the “day-to-day conversations” with nurses and doctors, he was responsible for giving his mother various “projects” to keep her mind and body active. ​​“I would pick up the slack by giving my mom a project at the house,” Dempsey continued. “She wanted to stay active, and I think that’s the same for a caregiver. You want to keep that routine going, and you want to [put] your team in place that can help support you."

USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE.

https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/stories/patrick-dempsey-caregiving.html