Running a campaign for office is a monumental task, and one that candidates generally do with help from their friends and family. That was the case for former Wisconsin Gov. Martin Schreiber when he first ran for office in 1963. His wife, Elaine, was his biggest supporter, taking care of him and their family as he pursued his political career.
But decades later, it was Elaine who needed support when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Schreiber was her caregiver and, as he calls it, her lifeline to the world. He explores his and her journey with Alzheimer’s in his new book, My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver.
Ahead of his talk at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Milwaukee on June 10, 2025, he joined Lake Effect's Joy Powers to discuss the book.
"The tough part was getting to the understanding intellectually in my mind that I had to let go of this wonderful person who once was, in order for me to embrace the person who now is," he says.
My Two Elaines is as much the story of Schreiber and his wife as it is a book of advice and inspiration for caregivers. However difficult it may be, Schreiber says that accepting change is the most important thing when caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.
"I think number one to understand as a caregiver [is that] we will have to embrace a new reality," he says. "We have to accept the fact for this moment in time there is no cure."
He says that trying to "join their world" — rather than the other way around — can help your loved one live their best life possible.
"I think that, as challenging as this disease is, there can be an experience of these moments of joy."
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