November Recognizes People Caring for Alzheimer’s
November is National Family Caregivers Month. The Alzheimer’s Association is marking the event by recognizing and honoring the more than 15 million family members and friends across the U.S. who are currently caring for a person living with Alzheimer’s.
How to Help a Caregiver during National Family Caregivers Month
November is National Family Caregivers Month. The Alzheimer’s Association is marking the event by recognizing and honoring the more than 15 million family members and friends across the U.S. who are currently caring for a person living with Alzheimer’s.
According to a recent Alzheimer’s Association survey, people overwhelmingly agree (91 percent) that caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia should be a group effort among family or close friends, yet one out of three caregivers are not engaging others in caregiving tasks. More than four in five caregivers would have liked more support in providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, especially from their family. With 15 million Alzheimer’s caregivers across the country, that leaves many people in need of support.
This November during National Family Caregivers Month, the Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging individuals to lend a hand to caregivers. I have included just a few of the ways that people can help caregivers this month and throughout the year.
Michael Mucci, 65, of Conneaut, knows firsthand about being a loving caregiver. His wife, Sally, 65, has Alzheimer’s disease. She was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s nine years ago at age 56. An aerobic exercise class enthusiast, Sally was assistant treasurer for the Conneaut City Schools until her diagnosis forced her to stop working.
About 18 months ago, Mucci attended an Alzheimer’s Association support group meeting in North Olmsted with his daughter. From there, he started to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease at www.alz.org.
“I made a commitment to ‘plug in’ and be a student,” of the disease, he said. Then he reached out to the Cleveland Area Chapter. Mucci met with his Alzheimer’s Association dementia care coach and support group specialist, who, he says, became his “mentor.”
Chapter staff provide in-person and telephone-based coaching that includes an assessment and creation of an action plan for families caring for a loved one with dementia. Regular contacts with staff provide support over time. Care coaching is also available in Spanish.
All Alzheimer’s Association care and support services, including care coaching, are offered free of charge.
Knowing more about Alzheimer’s “allowed me to put myself in control” of the caregiving challenges ahead, said Mucci, who works part time in direct-response marketing.
The primary element that determines the next step for an Alzheimer’s caregiver? “Can you keep them (the loved one with Alzheimer’s) safe? It’s my trusted phrase,” he said. “It determines what to do next.”
When Mucci couldn’t answer his “trusted phrase” affirmatively with regard to Sally’s safety, he made the decision to move her to Jefferson Health Care Center, where she currently resides.
He said Alzheimer’s Association care coaching helped “keep things realistic.” “Sooner or later, reality takes over,” he said of the Alzheimer’s journey with a loved one.
“It (care coaching) helps through every step and empowers a caregiver. It allows caregivers to have control,” he said. “Knowledge is power.”
Here’s How You Can Help an Alzheimer’s Caregiver
Learn: Educate yourself about Alzheimer’s disease – its symptoms, its progression and the common challenges facing caregivers. The more you know, the easier it will be to find ways to help. The Alzheimer’s Association has a vast amount of resources and information available at www.alz.org.
Build a Team: The Alzheimer’s Association Care Team Calendar is a free, personalized online tool to organize family and friends who want to help with caregiving. This service makes it easy to share activities and information within the person’s care team. Helpers can sign up for specific tasks, such as preparing meals, providing rides or running errands. Users can post items for which assistance is needed. Visit the Care Team Calendar here: www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-care-calendar.asp.
Give a Break: Make a standing appointment to give the caregiver a break. Spend time with the person with dementia and allow the caregiver a chance to run errands, go to their own doctor’s appointment, participate in a support group or engage in an activity that helps them recharge. Even one hour could make a big difference in providing the caregiver some relief.
Check In: Almost two out of every three caregivers said that feeling isolated or alone was a significant challenge in providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. What’s more, half of all caregivers felt like they couldn’t talk to anyone in social settings or work about what they were going through. So start the conversation – a phone call to check in, sending a note, or stopping by for a visit can make a big difference in a caregiver’s day and help them feel supported.
Tackle the To-Do List: Ask for a list of errands that need to be run – pick up groceries, dry cleaning or even offer to shuttle kids to and from activities. It can be hard for a caregiver to find time to complete these simple tasks outside of the home that we often take for granted.
Be Specific and Be Flexible: Open-ended offers of support (“call me if you need anything” or “let me know if I can help”) may be well-intended, but are often dismissed. Try making your offer of help or support more specific (“I’m going to the store, what do you need?” or “I have free time this weekend, let me stop over for a couple of hours so you can do what you need to do.”) Don’t get frustrated if your offer of support is not immediately accepted. The family may need time to assess its needs. Continue to let the caregiver know that you are there and ready to help.
Help for the Holidays: Holiday celebrations are often joyous occasions, but they can be challenging and stressful for families living with Alzheimer’s. Help caregivers around the holidays by offering to help with cooking, cleaning or gift shopping. If a caregiver has traditionally hosted family celebrations, offer your home instead.
Join the Fight: Honor a person living with the disease and their caregiver by joining the fight against Alzheimer’s. You can volunteer at your local Alzheimer’s Association office, participate in fundraising events such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and The Longest Day, advocate for more research funding, or sign up to participate in a clinical study as a healthy volunteer through the Alzheimer’s Association’s Trial Match. Joining the cause can help families facing the disease know that they are not alone in their fight.
About the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter
The Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter serves Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. The Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. The disease currently affects more than five million American adults and is the sixth leading cause of death in the country. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.
