A Caregiver's Guide to Dementia


Book Description

*New Edition with Updated dementia, dementia care, and resource information.* According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are more than six million people living in the United States have Alzheimer's disease or some other form of dementia. Not reported in these statistics are the sixteen million family caregivers who, in total, contribute nineteen billion hours of unpaid care each year. This book addresses the needs and challenges faced by adult children and other family members who are scrambling to make sense of what is happening to themselves and the loved ones in their care. The author, an experienced medical and science writer known for her ability to clearly explain complex and emotionally sensitive topics, is also a former family caregiver herself. Using both personal narrative and well-researched, expert-verified content, she guides readers through the often-confusing and challenging world of dementia care. She carefully escorts caregivers through the basics of dementia as a brain disorder, its accompanying behaviors, the procedures used to diagnose and stage the disease, and the legal aspects of providing care for an adult who is no longer competent. She also covers topics not usually included in other books on dementia: family dynamics, caregiver burnout, elder abuse, incontinence, finances and paying for care, the challenges same-sex families face, and coping with the eventuality of death and estate management. Each chapter begins with a real-life vignette taken from the author's personal experience and concludes with "Frequently Asked Questions" and "Worksheets" sections. The FAQs tackle specific issues and situations that often make caregiving such a challenge. The worksheets are a tool to help readers organize, evaluate, and self-reflect. A glossary of terms, an appendix, and references for further reading give readers a command of the vocabulary clinicians use and access to valuable resources.




A Dignified Life


Book Description

More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease or a related form of dementia. By the year 2030, experts estimate that as many as 66 million people around the world will be faced with this life-altering disease. Unfortunately, these staggering statistics impact millions of caregivers, too. Compared with all types of caregivers, those who assist someone with dementia experience the highest levels of burnout, depression, poor health, and premature death. A Dignified Life, Revised and Expanded offers hope and help with a proven approach. Ten years ago, the first edition of A Dignified Life changed the way the caregiving community approached Alzheimer's disease by showing caregivers how to act as a Best Friend to the person, finding positive ways to interact even as mental abilities declined. Firmly grounded in the latest knowledge about the progression and treatment of dementia, this expanded edition offers a wealth of immediately usable tips and new problem-solving advice. It incorporates practical ideas for therapeutic activities—including the latest brain-fitness exercises—stimulate the brain while adding structure, meaning, and context to daily routines. With new stories and examples as well as an updated resources section, A Dignified Life, Revised and Expanded gives caregivers the support and advice they need to be successful and inspired in their demanding roles. While medical treatment of the disease hasn't changed in the past ten years, our understanding and awareness of treating people in a more caring way has changed substantially. With no cure on the immediate horizon, respectful care by effective and compassionate care partners is the only real "treatment" available to people with dementia. The Best FriendsTM Approach is successful because it sustains people's connection to their world, their loved ones, and themselves. It's a universal program which has been embraced by professional and family caregivers throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. In its revised form, A Dignified Life offers caregivers an antidote to the burnout and frustration that often accompanies the role of caring for a person with Alzheimer's and dementia. Rather than struggling through a series of frustrations and failures, A Dignified Life shows the new generation care partners how to bring dignity, meaning, and peace of mind to the lives of both those who have Alzheimer's and dementia and those who care for them.




When Your Loved One Has Dementia


Book Description

The result is a guide that integrates the practicalities of caregiving with the human emotions that accompany it.




The REACH OUT Caregiver Support Program


Book Description

"This chapter describes the basic tenets of the REACH OUT protocol and how they came to be. It begins with an overview of the development of the REACH OUT protocol and details the program's evolution over more than two decades. The chapter describes the five risk areas around which the REACH OUT program revolves: home safety, physical health, emotional wellbeing, behavior management, and social support. Following this, it provides a brief description of the tools available to the clinician as well as the intervention strategies utilized on a session-by-session basis. The chapter ends with a sample intervention schedule to help the clinician organize a potential timeline for treatment"--




The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities


Book Description

This practical guide provides general caregiving tips and helps you decide when and how to transition your loved one to a dementia care community. Caring for someone with dementia is challenging, especially when it comes time to think about other living arrangements. What do you need to know about dementia, including its different stages? What do you do if the person you're caring for seems to have trouble recognizing you? When is it time to move a person living with dementia into a senior living community? And how can you maintain your relationship with your loved one when you are living apart? Gerontologist and dementia care consultant Rachael Wonderlin has written a compassionate book to help friends and family members of those living with dementia answer these tough questions—and more. In practical, down-to-earth language, The Caregiver's Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities walks the reader through key points about dementia care, including • common terminology used by health care workers • strategies for taking care of your loved one • advice for when and how to transition to a dementia care community • understanding how dementia care communities are structured and what to keep in mind when evaluating them • how to help your loved one receive the best possible care while they're living apart • recommendations for handling obstacles involving communication and behavioral issues • information on technology, hospice care, programming and activities, and at-home safety A dedicated section called "Putting It into Practice" in each chapter helps you apply the principles to your own experience, while worksheets present you with questions to consider as part of the caregiving and assessment process.




Supporting the Caregiver in Dementia


Book Description

Dementia is one of the greatest challenges facing seniors and their caregivers around the globe. Developed by experts in both research and practice, this guide for mental health clinicians explores the experience of caregiving in dementia, discussing the latest research developments and sharing clinical pearls of wisdom that can easily be translated to daily practice. The contributors explore the history of caregiving and then examine the current demographics of caregivers for persons with dementia. They discuss who provides care, the settings in which it is delivered, and the rewards and burdens of caregiving. They place special emphasis on understanding the psychological needs of both the person with dementia and the caregiver, as well as interpersonal bonds, spiritual dimensions, and reactions to grief and loss. Using a multidisciplinary approach to treatment for caregivers, this book addresses the role of pharmacotherapy, individual and family interventions, and social supports. Finally, the authors reflect on societal issues such as health care policies, ethnic elders, and ethics. This volume offers health professionals insights into the daily lives of caregivers, along with tools to provide their patients with the support they need.




Caregiving Both Ways


Book Description

Overcome the Language Barrier of Dementia When a parent, spouse, sibling, or loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, it can be difficult to know what to do. Your day can spiral into a never-ending series of tasks and attempts to communicate that leave you both frustrated. Instead of burning out, discover a new approach. When your loved one behaves differently than they used to, they’re just communicating in a new way. As caregivers, the most important thing we can do is learn that new language. Navigate the caregiving relationship: In Caregiving Both Ways, Molly Wisniewski offers essential advice for getting to know your loved one and yourself during this new phase of life. Learn to balance your priorities, avoid burning out, and honor self-care. Molly will teach you how to navigate the difficult moments with techniques she’s mastered from years of experience working with people with dementia. Prepare for each stage of care: Caregiving Both Ways is divided into two parts. First, learn how to care for your loved one with dementia and prioritize your new role as caregiver. Next, discover how to build a strong support system with help from professional caregivers and how to prepare for end-of-life care. In Caregiving Both Ways, you’ll find worksheets, exercises, and essential tips for smart, empathetic caregiving. You'll learn how to: • Use non-medical interventions to reduce anxiety • Prioritize and make time for your own care and mental health • Identify triggers that may cause confusion in your loved one • Handle difficult medical decisions • Provide support and validation through all stages of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia Readers who turned to Alzheimer’s books like The 36-Hour Day, When Reasoning No Longer Works, and Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer's Journey will love the compassionate approach of Caregiving Both Ways.




Families Caring for an Aging America


Book Description

Family caregiving affects millions of Americans every day, in all walks of life. At least 17.7 million individuals in the United States are caregivers of an older adult with a health or functional limitation. The nation's family caregivers provide the lion's share of long-term care for our older adult population. They are also central to older adults' access to and receipt of health care and community-based social services. Yet the need to recognize and support caregivers is among the least appreciated challenges facing the aging U.S. population. Families Caring for an Aging America examines the prevalence and nature of family caregiving of older adults and the available evidence on the effectiveness of programs, supports, and other interventions designed to support family caregivers. This report also assesses and recommends policies to address the needs of family caregivers and to minimize the barriers that they encounter in trying to meet the needs of older adults.




When a Family Member Has Dementia


Book Description

Caring for a person with dementia is a difficult and often- overwhelming task. In addition to the inevitable decline in memory and physical function, most persons with dementia develop one or more troublesome behavior problems, such as depression, fearfulness, sleep disturbances, paranoia, or physical aggression at some point in their disease. Behavioral challenges in dementia are highly idiosyncratic. No two patients are alike, and interventions that work well with one person are often ineffective with another. Caregivers often become stuck: either unable to figure out how best to help their loved one, or unable to consistently implement positive practices they know would improve their situation. This book offers caregivers a set of practical and flexible tools to enable them become more resilient in the face of difficulty and change. McCurry teaches caregivers how to take advantage of their own creativity and inner resources to develop strategies that will work in their unique situations. She presents her set of five core principles and then brings them to life through vignettes. Anyone who lives, works, or comes in contact with a person who has dementia will benefit from this volume.