I've got to agree. If you the affliction of the person you are caring for is so dire that they can die within an hour of no active care, and you are the only person who is available to give that care (that is, you live alone), then that is not a good situation. While I must applaud your desire to not institutionalize this person, sometimes that really is the best situation if you want them to survive beyond anything that might befall yourself. It's a tragic choice to have to make, but what you're really looking at is this: 1. should I continue caring for this person and accept that they might die if something happens to me, or 2. should I institutionalize them and know that they will have continuous care regardless of what happens to me, but that it will be at times impersonal. Personally, I would probably choose the latter if the other person's life was important to me, but then choose to spend as much time as feasible with them at the institution. If you are already giving continuous care, it sounds like you have plenty of time to spend with them as I doubt that you are working outside of the home... Just my $0.02.