Leeza Gibbons Gives Advice to Alzheimer's Caregivers

A picture of Leeza Gibbons and her mother, Anna Gibbons, who had Alzheimer's disease, on her blog http://www.leezasplace.org/.  Her blog is dedicated to helping caregivers deal with the difficulties of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia.  On Sunday at 8 ET, Gibbons will be featured on CNN in a special hosted by Larry King called "Unthinkable: the Alzheimer's Epidemic."   Here, Leeza gives advice to Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers who, she says, "are probably not taking care of themselves."

The Health Benefits of Gardening

Here is a link to a fantastic, touching article on the health benefits of gardening from the Boston Globe:

 http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-25/lifestyle/29472104_1_therapeutic-gardening-larger-garden-plants

This picture is from the blog Skippy's Vegetable Gardening at http://carletongarden.blogspot.com/.  You can visit this site for some excellent advice on gardening and having fun while doing it!

A Solution to Your Caregiving Needs

At Long Term Solutions, we have noticed the increasing trend that unpaid, informal caregivers face SIGNIFICANTLY higher stress and financial hardships than their non-caregiving peers.  Between 40-70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with approximately 25-50% of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major depression,* and informal caregivers personally lose an average of $566,443 over a lifetime due to forgone wages.** 

In addition to the difficulties caregivers face, employers are having a difficult time with employed caregivers.  A study by MetLife conducted in 2006, entitled "The MetLife Caregiving Cost Study," found that each employed caregiver cost a company an average of $2,110.  Additionally, it found that any funds spent by the employer in helping with caregiving have a payback to the employer of 3 to 13 times the cost.

WeCare+ is designed to help caregivers and employers navigate the complex process of care management.  Our experience in the long-term care industry has given us the expertise to create a program that will best help your needs.  Long Term Solutions' team of clinicians and care coordinators will increase individuals' ability to care for loved ones and will help at every step in the caregiving process.  Please visit our website at http://www.longtermsol.com/ to find out more information about WeCare+.


* Zarit, S. (2006). Assessment of Family Caregivers: A Research Perspective. In Family Caregiver Alliance (Eds.), Caregiver Assessment: Voices and Views from the Field. Report from a National Consensus Development Conference (Vol. II) (pp. 12 – 37). San Francisco: Family Caregiver Alliance.
** AARP Public Policy Institute (2008, November). Valuing the Invaluable: The Economic Value of Family Caregiving, 2008 Update. Washington, DC.

Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver, former First Lady of California, and daughter and caregiver of the late Sargent Shriver, talks candidly about the difficulties caregivers face and discusses tips for them and how the country as a whole can address this growing problem.

Maria Shriver discusses caregiving on ABC News.

New Study on Caregivers of People with Dementia or Alzheimer's

According to a recent study by the Alzheimer's Association, there are currently almost 15 million Americans serving as unpaid caregivers for people afflicted with Alzheimer's or dementia.  These caregivers provide 17 billion hours of care a year amounting to a staggering value of care estimated at $202 billion.  That's a lot of money.  In 2010, these caregivers had to pay a collective $7.9 billion in additional health care costs, and the study found that 33% of the caregivers suffered from symptoms of depression.  61% of the caregivers reported feeling "High to Very High" levels of emotional stress.

If you are a caregiver out there feeling very stressed out, know that you are not alone.  There are a lot of support groups out there.  Here is a link to a previous blog post that covers caregiver support groups in depth.  Additionally, if you have the appropriate insurance coverage, schedule an appointment to see a psychologist.  Talking about your problems with other people or a professional will almost surely help to alleviate your stress.

Maria Shriver Speaks on Caregiver Difficulties

Maria Shriver and Dr. Marie Savard discuss difficulties faced by caregivers:

ABC News Report

Nurse Appreciation

A few months ago, my son had minor surgery to remove a benign tumor in his ankle, and he needed to stay the night in the hospital.  After the surgery, I visited him, and the nurses did an excellent job tending to all his needs - educating him on the medications they gave him, making sure he knew how to use his crutches, and even giving him a few extra ginger ales.  Admittedly, I can be a bit of an overbearing mother at times, and as a registered nurse who used to work directly with patients, I wanted to know anything and everything about my son's surgery and recovery. The nurses did not mind at all, and they handled my questions with patience and grace.  Recently, I went to a hospital to see an ailing friend, and the nurses seemed consumed with work.  One explained that this was due to the economy, and often hospitals cannot afford to be fully staffed with RNs.  So I want to dedicate this post to all the nurses out there working hard.  They devote their careers to helping and caring for people.  We put our health into their hands, and they almost always deliver.  So thank you to all the nurses in the world who do a wonderful job taking care of our well-being.

"Raymond" by Brett Eldredge

This is a touching song by Brett Elderedge about caring for his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.  Enjoy and make sure to keep a box of tissues close.

Walter Breuning Speaking at 114 Years Old

A video of Walter Breuning, currently the oldest man in the world, filmed in March of 2010, when he was 114 years old.  Clearly, Walter is still energetic and vivacious.  When he turned 112, Breuning said "[If] you keep your mind busy and keep your body busy, you're going to be around a long time."  He exercises every morning. Watching this video, I couldn't help but think about all the things he has seen: The two World Wars, the change from horse and buggy to automobiles, the invention of computers, and many, many more things.