Vikki McGuire Turner spent hours reading about Alzheimer's disease after finances forced her to take her mother out of long-term care and into her Anthem home. Turner came to know the disease intimately. Only later would she learn how it threatened her own health.

After taking care of her mother full time, Turner came to realize she was vulnerable to "caregiver syndrome" – the depression, anxiety, financial loss, physical strain and frustration of caring for someone.

Turner is one of the "hidden patients" sought out by Arizona State University researcher David Coon. Coon, who organizes workshops to aid caregivers, says that people often tend to their ailing loved ones without knowing a crucial fact: taking care of the chronically ill can kill you.

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