Alzheimer's and Dementia Care: Help for Family Caregivers
Sunnyslope Estate Villas
Jul 06, 2021
Colorado - Denver Metro
Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia can be a long, stressful, and intensely emotional journey. But you're not alone. In the United States, there are more than 16 million people caring for someone with dementia, and many millions more around the world. As there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's or dementia, it is often your caregiving and support that makes the biggest difference to your loved one's quality of life. That is a remarkable gift.
However, caregiving can also become all-consuming. As your loved ones cognitive, physical, and functional abilities gradually diminish over time, it's easy to become overwhelmed, disheartened, and neglect your own health and well-being. The burden of caregiving can put you at increased risk for significant health problems and many dementias caregivers experience depression, high levels of stress, or even burnout. And nearly all Alzheimer's or dementia caregivers at some time experience sadness, anxiety, loneliness, and exhaustion. Seeking help and support along the way is not a luxury; it's a necessity.
Just as each individual with Alzheimer's disease or dementia progresses differently, so too can the caregiving experience vary widely from person to person. However, there are strategies that can aid you as a caregiver and help make your caregiving journey as rewarding as it is challenging.
The challenges and rewards of Alzheimer's care
Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease or dementia can often seem to be a series of grief experiences as you watch your loved one's memories disappear and skills erode. The person with dementia will change and behave in different, sometimes disturbing or upsetting ways. For both caregivers and their patients, these changes can produce an emotional wallop of confusion, frustration, and sadness.
As the disease advances through the different stages, your loved ones need increase, your caregiving and financial responsibilities become more challenging, and the fatigue, stress, and isolation can become overwhelming. At the same time, the ability of your loved one to show appreciation for all your hard work only diminishes. Caregiving can literally seem like a thankless task.
For many, though, a caregiver's journey includes not only huge challenges, but also many rich, life-affirming rewards.
Caregiving is a pure expression of love. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's or dementia connects you on a deeper level. If you were already close, it can bring you closer. If you weren't close before, it can help you resolve differences, find forgiveness, and build new, warmer memories with your family member.
It changes your perspective on life. The act of caregiving can help you appreciate your own life more. Many people find that their priorities change afterwards. The trivial, day-to-day worries that once seemed so important seem to fade away and they're able to focus on the things that are really meaningful in life.
Provides purpose. Caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia makes you feel needed and valued. It can also add structure and meaning to your life. Each day you're making a huge difference in someone's life, even if they're no longer able to acknowledge it or express their gratitude.
Adds a sense of accomplishment. Learning new skills and coping techniques can boost your confidence and overcoming new challenges can improve your problem-solving skills. Attending support groups can also broaden your social network and help you form new, rewarding relationships.
Caregiving can teach younger family members the importance of caring, compassion, and acceptance. Caregiving for someone with dementia is such a selfless act. Despite the stress, demands, and heartache, it can bring out the best in us to serve as role models for our children.
Caregiving in the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia
In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia, your loved one may not need much caregiving assistance. Rather, your role initially may be to help them come to terms with their diagnosis, plan for the future, and stay as active, healthy, and engaged as possible.
Accept the diagnosis. Accepting a dementia diagnosis can be just as difficult for family members as it for the patient. Allow yourself and your loved one time to process the news, transition to the new situation, and grieve your losses. But don't let denial prevent you from seeking early intervention.
Deal with conflicting emotions. Feelings of anger, frustration, disbelief, grief, denial, and fear are common in the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia for both the patient and you, the caregiver. Let your loved one express what they're feeling and encourage them to continue pursuing activities that add meaning and purpose to their life. To deal with your own fears, doubts, and sadness, find others you can confide in.
Make use of available resources. There are a wealth of community and online resources to help you provide effective care on this journey. Start by finding the Alzheimer's Association in your country (see Get more help below). These organizations offer practical support, helplines, advice, and training for caregivers and their families. They can also put you in touch with local support groups.
Learn all you can about your loved one's dementia. While everyone's experiences of Alzheimer's or dementia are different, the more you learn about the condition and how it's likely to progress, the better you'll be able to prepare for future challenges, reduce your frustration, and foster reasonable expectations. There are also books, workshops, and online training resources that can teach caregiving skills.
Prepare for the road ahead. With your support, your loved one may be able to maintain their independence and live alone in the early stages of dementia. However, their cognitive and physical regression means they will ultimately require around-the-clock help. Putting plans for their future housing and care in place now can help reduce stress in the future, enable your loved one to be involved in the decision-making process, and ensure their legal, financial, and healthcare wishes are respected.
Preserving your loved one's independence
Take steps to slow the progression of symptoms. While treatments are available for some symptoms, lifestyle changes can also be effective weapons in slowing down the disease's progression. Exercising, eating and sleeping well, managing stress, and staying mentally and socially active are among the steps that can improve brain health and slow the process of deterioration. Making healthy lifestyle changes alongside your loved one can also help protect your own health and counter the stress of caregiving.
Help with short-term memory loss. In the early stages, your loved one may need prompts or reminders to help them remember appointments, recall words or names, keep track of medications, or manage bills and money, for example. To help your loved one maintain their independence, instead of simply taking over every task yourself, try to work together as a partnership. Let your loved one indicate when they want help remembering a word, for example, or agree to check their calculations before paying bills. Encourage them to use a notebook or smartphone to create reminders to keep on hand.
Caregiving in the middle stages of Alzheimer's or dementia
As your loved ones Alzheimer's disease or dementia symptoms progress, they'll require more and more careened you'll need more and more support as their caregiver. Your loved one will gradually experience more extensive memory loss, may become lost in familiar settings, no longer beable to drive, and fail to recognize friends and family. Their confusion and rambling speech can make communicating more of a challenge and they may experience disturbing mood and behavior changes along with sleep problems.
You'll need to take on more responsibilities as your loved one loses independence, provide more assistance with the activities of daily living, and find ways of coping with each new challenge. Balancing these tasks with your other responsibilities requires attention, planning, and lots of support.
Ask for help. You cannot do it all alone. It's important to reach out to other family members, friends, or volunteer organizations to help with the daily burden of caregiving. Schedule frequent breaks throughout the day to pursue your hobbies and interests and stay on top of your own health needs. This is not being neglectful or disloyal to your loved one. Caregivers who take regular time away not only provide better care, but they also find more satisfaction in their caretaking roles.
Join a support group. You'll be able to learn from the experiences of others who have faced the same challenges. Connecting with others who know first-hand what you're going through can also help reduce feelings of isolation, fear, and hopelessness.
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Treasured Keepsakes: Organizing Your Most Precious Senior Possessions
As we move through life, we accumulate objects that tell the story of who we are and the relationships weve cherished. For seniors, these items often hold even deeper meaningeach photo, letter, and memento carries with it a lifetime of memories. But over time, these treasured possessions can become overwhelming, taking up space and creating clutter. The challenge lies in finding ways to honor these memories while maintaining a home that feels organized, peaceful, and comfortable.At A Call to Order Professional Organizers, we understand that decluttering is not just about making space; its about preserving the essence of what matters most. Our goal is to help you organize your most precious senior possessions with love and respect, creating a living environment that reflects your unique journey. In this blog, well explore how to thoughtfully organize keepsakes so that theyre both accessible and lovingly preserved for years to come.Curating Your Collection with CareWhen it comes to organizing treasured possessions, its important to approach the process with care and intention. Each item holds a memory, a connection, or a piece of history, so the goal is not to discard these items, but to thoughtfully curate a collection that truly represents your lifes most meaningful moments.Step 1: Begin with ReflectionBefore diving into the organization process, take some time to reflect on which items hold the most emotional value. Sorting through personal belongings can be a deeply emotional experience, so its essential to go at your own pace. Ask yourself: Which items make you smile when you see them? Which ones carry stories you want to share with loved ones? This initial reflection helps you identify the objects that deserve a place of honor in your home.Step 2: Categorize Your KeepsakesOnce youve selected your most precious items, its helpful to categorize them. Group similar items together, such as family photos, letters from loved ones, travel souvenirs, or heirlooms passed down through generations. This process allows you to see what you have and makes it easier to decide how to display or store them.At A Call to Order, we guide our clients through this process, helping them sort through their possessions with empathy and care. We understand that parting with certain items can be difficult, so we focus on keeping what truly matters while organizing in a way that feels manageable and comforting.Step 3: Display with PurposeFor many seniors, having their most meaningful items on display is a way to keep memories alive. Whether its a shadow box of family heirlooms, a curated photo wall, or a memory shelf filled with travel mementos, displaying items thoughtfully can bring daily joy. Consider rotating your collectionputting some keepsakes on display for a season, while safely storing others for future enjoyment. This way, your living space doesnt feel cluttered, but still reflects your lifes rich tapestry of memories.Safekeeping and Sharing Your LegacyAfter organizing your cherished possessions, its just as important to ensure their safekeeping and plan how to pass them along to future generations. Preserving your legacy can be a deeply fulfilling process, and A Call to Order can help you every step of the way.Step 1: Create a Safe Storage SystemFor items that are not on display, having an organized storage system is key to keeping them safe and accessible. Use labeled, archival-quality boxes to store fragile items like old photographs, letters, or documents. These containers are designed to protect against deterioration and ensure that your keepsakes stay in excellent condition. Be sure to label boxes or storage bins clearly so that you and your family can easily locate items when the time comes to reminisce or share memories.Step 2: Digitize Important MemoriesOne way to ensure the longevity of your precious possessions is by digitizing them. Old photos, important documents, and even handwritten letters can be scanned and saved digitally, providing peace of mind that these memories wont be lost to time. Digital copies can also be shared with family members, allowing everyone to enjoy them without the risk of losing the originals. A Call to Order can help you set up a digital archive, ensuring that your most important memories are preserved for generations to come.Step 3: Share Your Story with Loved OnesPerhaps the most rewarding aspect of organizing your treasured keepsakes is the opportunity to share your lifes journey with family and friends. Consider creating memory albums or scrapbooks for each child or grandchild, filled with photos and personal stories that reflect your time together. Not only does this preserve your legacy, but it also strengthens bonds and creates a meaningful connection between generations.Additionally, passing along family heirlooms or special possessions can be a beautiful way to keep your legacy alive. If there are items youve always intended to pass down, take the time now to write a note about the history and significance of each one. These notes add an extra layer of meaning to the heirloom, ensuring that the story behind the object is never forgotten.At A Call to Order Professional Organizers, we know that organizing your most precious senior possessions is about more than declutteringits about honoring your past, preserving your legacy, and creating a space that reflects the love and memories youve gathered over the years. With thoughtful care and personalized guidance, we help seniors curate, protect, and share their treasured keepsakes, ensuring that the essence of their lives is preserved for generations to come.Whether youre looking to display your favorite memories, create a safe storage system, or pass along cherished heirlooms to loved ones, A Call to Order is here to support you in every step of the journey. Let us help you turn your collection of treasures into a beautifully organized legacy that will be treasured by generations to come.
Do Therapy Dogs Help Alzheimer's Patients?
Visit any critical care unit, childrens hospital, or other specialty inpatient facility, and youll find a common feature: therapy dogs. For decades, healthcare practitioners have understood the surprisingly positive effects on patients of time spend with cute and cuddly dogs. Therapy dogs reduce stress, improve mood, and can help patients reframe their outlook on whatever condition ails them. The positive effects of patient interactions with therapy dogs are a well-documented fact of the medical world. Senior citizens with limited mobility and other health conditions also benefit from the companionship of dogs. Owning a pet reduces feelings of loneliness among seniors living at home or in a retirement facility, which in turn greatly reduces the risk of diseases associated with loneliness and isolation. Pets can also decrease the number of stress hormones in a persons blood, lower blood pressure, and contribute to a more positive outlook on life. Dogs and other pets, it seems, have tremendous healing powers!Since Alzheimers patients cannot adequately care for a pet, owning one is out of the question. Considering the nature of Alzheimers dementia, it is easy to assume that a loved one may not benefit from a pet since they will not remember the interaction. Researchers, convinced therapy dogs would have a positive effect on Alzheimers patients, put this question to the test: Do Therapy Dogs Help Alzheimers Dementia Patients?Short-Term Benefits of Therapy Dogs for Patients with Alzheimers Dementia.A study conducted in the early 2000s looked carefully at the subject of therapy dogs and Alzheimers dementia patients. They measured the incidence of behavioral disturbances among patients in a nursing home for a period of four weeks, then introduced therapy dogs. Their initial findings showed that the dogs helped to reduce behavioral disturbances in the short term, meaning they helped to immediately calm patients. The short-term effects proved that therapy dogs do have a positive effect on patients with Alzheimers disease, particularly in regards to anxiety, anger, and changes in behavior associated with the disease.Long-Term Benefits of Therapy Dogs for Patients with Alzheimers Dementia.The same study did not stop at the short-term effects of therapy dogs on Alzheimers patients. Previous assumptions suggested that since patients would not remember their encounters with the therapy dogs, the effects of spending time with them would vanish from one day to the next. Not true, the study authors found. Although most of the patients did not remember their interactions with the therapy dogs (some did), the behavioral disturbances noted in the four weeks prior to the study reduced. In fact, the longer and more frequently patients interacted with the therapy dogs, the less they exhibited behavioral disturbances.Therapy Dogs As A Long-Term Therapy.The study findings confirmed what clinicians suspected all along: dogs are an excellent long-term therapy for persons with Alzheimers dementia to reduce the incidence of behavioral disturbances. Therapy dogs also had the same effect on Alzheimers patients as they do on other kinds of patients, including reduced stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, better appetite, and fewer feelings of loneliness. These effects continued to increase the longer and more frequently patients interacted with the dogs.What Makes Dogs Such Good Therapy?Dogs are wired to give unconditional love and devotion. They can provide physical and social contact where it is missing, and they are not picky. what sets dogs apart, particularly those trained as therapy dogs, is that they will approach anyone regardless of their physical or mental deterioration, and initiate contact. Patients can pet, hug, and cuddle dogs unlike any other kind of pet. These positive interactions provide a distraction to the other goings-on around them and provide relief for those suffering from sadness, anger, or angst.The Takeaway.Dogs have a tremendous healing power. While studies have focused specifically on Alzheimers dementia patients, their positive effects will benefit anyone suffering from general dementia. Families of patients will feel relief that their loved ones have fewer outbursts of anger, sadness, or angst. While dementia impairs memory, it does not interrupt the long-term benefits of regularly interacting with a therapy dog. In fact, the more they interact with a therapy dog, the fewer behavioral problems they exhibit.Contact us at Acti-Kare Responsive In-Home Care North Pittsburgh to learn more at 412-810-6595.
Primary Care for Seniors
If you are satisfied with the clinicians at your primary care office, cherish those relationships. For many reasons, it is getting more difficult to find primary care clinicians who go the extra mile for you and your loved ones. If you are not content with your primary care team, I offer the following suggestions. First, find a clinician (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant) who enjoys listening to you and your stories. The art of medicine is mostly about the art of listening.and believing what you share. Listening and understanding build trust, essential for any good relationship. Every city and small town in our country has such clinicians. Second, appreciate that young nurse practitioners and physician assistants can listen to you and help sort out your problems every bit as well as a seasoned physician who is overworked and/or approaching retirement. In my 40 + year career, Ive had the opportunity to train hundreds of NPs and PAs. They gain the knowledge, expertise, and confidence to become great providers within 9-12 months of graduating from professional schools. Often, they have more technical skills than older physicians. This works to your advantage in the following ways. Assume you have an unusual combination of symptoms. They know how to explore the Internet and rely on specialists to find the best plan of care for you. Now assume you need a steroid injection in a joint. Many NPs and PAs can provide procedures that overworked physicians never learned. Third, see the entire practice as your primary care provider. A good practice has all members working together as a team. The members include front office staff who greet you for in-person visits, medical assistants and nurses who answer your phone calls, and the clinicians who care for you in person or with tele-health visits. If you find that any team member isnt respectful, you should feel free to discuss this with the office manager. All good practices should welcome feedback. Fourth, if you have the means and value extra attention, consider a concierge practice. Unfortunately, concierge physicians are beyond the reach of the vast majority of seniors in our country. Further, we are seeing a shortage of these physicians just as we are seeing a shortage of all primary care physicians. This brings us back to my key message: you can find trust and comfort with a dedicated NP or PA. When we consider the evolution of geriatric practice over the last 4 decades, we understand that it is NPs and PAs providing the vast majority of visits in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home visits.Finally, it is important to understand the pressure and demands on your primary care office. The advent of the electronic health records in the 1990s added a massive burden to all practices. The hope (and the myth) was that EHRs would lead to higher quality medical care. The reality is that EHRs havent improved true quality. EHRs are the main reason so many good clinicians are feeling burned out. The clinicians feel they have to pay more attention to the EHR (and quality metrics) than to the patient in front of them. When you express your understanding of this dilemma to your clinical team, they greatly appreciate this. Again, building understanding and trust leads to the best quality of care and beneficial outcomes. The article was written by Dr. Don Murphy, Geriatrician and Hospice Physician who plans to run for Governor of Colorado, on behalf of. He can be reached at murphdoc@comcast.net, his cell, 720-490-6757, or his main YouTube channel, TheCrazyMurphys5560.