LTS Caregivers and Their Stories

Here at Long Term Solutions, we support caregivers and we are caregivers. Many LTS employees are the primary caregivers for an ailing or aging loved one. They have first-hand experience with caregiving, and know what about the different emotions involved with caregiving.They've experienced the joys that come with caregiving, and they've also endured the hardships. Meet four of our employees below. Click on their names to read their full stories.

Click here to meet Brenda.
"What I really love about working on the administrative side of Long Term Solutions is that at the end of the day I know the work we do is helping someone," explained Brenda. "At the other end of the phone or on the other end of the assessment is someone who we’re helping. There’s a person behind every claim number." Caregiving is something Brenda has been doing full-time since 2000, and, because of this, she is really able to relate to the adult caregivers she talks to on the phone every day.'"

Click here to meet Karen.
"The greatest joy is watching him smile, when he smiles," said Karen about her father-in-law. "I tell my husband – I just live for that."

Laughter is one thing about caregiving that brings joy to Karen. Another is taking her father-in-law out to eat fried clams at Red Wing Diner just down the street from her house. The third is having conversations with him.

Click here to meet Debbie.
 "Where’s the nurse?" demanded a young and visibly stressed doctor. Debbie was in a hospital room with her mother and two other nurses. Her mother had developed the flu and pneumonia simultaneously, and they were at the ER for the second time.

"No, where’s the nurse? The family member who is a nurse," he insisted.

 The nurses looked at each other, confused. Debbie was the nurse he was referring to, but she remained silent.

Click here to meet Nancy.
"She was just sobbing. She walked down the hall of her nursing home and told every nurse and patient ‘my husband has died… did you know my husband died?'" remembers Nancy. Nancy and her brother had just told their mother that their father and her husband had died. Nancy's mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease five years ago, and her husband had been the primary caregiver for almost four years. But in September 2011 he fell ill and within four months Nancy lost him to renal failure.

Alzheimer’s Disease

 

This month, Long Term Solutions will be participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This will be the third year that we’re participating, and it’s a cause that we are very passionate about. Alzheimer’s disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia. In 2006, there were 26.6 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This number is expected to be 1 in 85 by 2050.

Alzheimer’s disease can only be definitively diagnosed post-mortem. There are two characteristic markers that signal Alzheimer’s disease: plaques and tangles. Plaque is a build-up of beta-amyloid protein fragments, and these accumulate in the brain between nerve cells. The tangles are created when another protein, tau, twists together and creates these clumps or tangles. With Alzheimer’s disease, these develop in the parts of the brain that are crucial for memory. Eventually, the nerve cells in the brain die off and then cause the typical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

What are some of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s? Here are ten early signs, from the Alzheimer’s Association:

- Is the individual experiencing memory loss that impacts their day to day life?

- Are they having issues solving problems? Are they having difficulty solving problems?

- Does it seem like the individual is experiencing difficulty with routine tasks that they used to be able to do?

- One key symptom is being unable to conceptualize the date and the time.

- Does it seem like they are having issues with visual images and spatial relationships?

- Are they having problems with new words? Are they having trouble reading or writing?

- Do they frequently lose things? Are they unable to retrace their steps?

- Does it seem like they have been making poor decisions? Does their judgment seem sound?

- Have they been avoiding social activities?

- Lastly, have you noticed changes in mood and personality?

All of these can signal cognitive changes in older adults. If you recognize these symptoms in an individual, you should contact their primary physician immediately.

You can visit the Long Term Solutions team page by clicking here.