Dementia Awareness Week

This week is Dementia Awareness Week in the U.K. They are trying to raise awareness for the various types of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, Fronto-temporal dementia, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, HIV-related cognitive impairment, and mild cognitive impairment. According to the World Health Organization, 35.6 million individuals have dementia, and there are 7.7 million individuals diagnosed with dementia every year. These numbers are incredible, and the World Health Organization also noted that dementia is one of the top causes of disability in older individuals.

As a caregiver, knowing the symptoms and signs of dementia can be crucial to early diagnosis and early treatment. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, these are some important symptoms of dementia:

 - Is your loved one having trouble remembering recent events? Do they have little trouble remembering past events?

- Does it seem like your loved one is distressed or confused when in a familiar environment?

- Does it seem like your loved one has started repeating themselves frequently?

- Does it seem like your loved forgets the names of objects? Do they forget the names of their friends?

- Does your loved one look visibly upset or anxious when they realize they’ve forgotten something?

All of these can signal dementia, and if you begin to notice it in your loved one, talk to their primary care physician immediately. Early diagnosis is incredibly important in the treatment of dementia.

Please take some time to look at the Alzheimer’s Awareness UK website. It has some excellent resources for individuals caring for people with dementia and it has information for those worried their loved one may be developing dementia.

 http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/

How Does WeCare+ Help?

Mr. Bob is an 85-year-old male who is the primary caregiver for his spouse Mrs. Bob. She was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. However, the disease began much earlier and progressed very quickly. Within three years he was spending his entire day caring for her. Mr. Bob does this with little or no help, as their children are all out of state and can only offer assistance during the holidays. Also, as with many Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients, most of their friends stopped coming around.

Fortunately, Mr. Bob’s financial advisor was knowledgeable about elder care issues, and he recommended WeCare+. That is where Long Term Solutions stepped in. After an initial in home assessment, Long Term Solutions clinician Sue called Mr. Bob. First, they addressed the activities of daily living. Could she dress herself? Was she able to use the toilet independently? What about independent activities – could she use the phone? These are the types of question Bobby Sue and Mr. Bob worked through. Next, they determined what adaptive equipment would help Mr. Bob properly care for Mrs. Bob. Finally, they discussed safety issues, such as wandering. Mrs. Bob had just started wandering, and recently had been turning on the stove. Sue had many suggestions, from a new lock on the door, GPS transmitting sneakers, to removing the knobs on the stove. They developed a plan to ensure the safety of Mrs. Bob, and then Sue focused on the well fare of Mr. Bob.

With the duties of primary caregiver entirely on the spouse, there is always concern for caregiver burden. Caregiver stress is a multi-dimensional issue, with physical, emotional and intellectual components. Frequently, caregivers don’t realize that caregiver burden and stress is even an issue. Mr. Bob admitted he was having a tough time dealing with the guilt about some of the feelings of anger and frustration he was experiencing while caring for Mrs. Bob.

There is a lot of fear and confusion involved, as there is so little known about the disease. There’s also a lot of confusion. Mr. Bob and his wife were always focused on nutrition, health, and exercise, so why did this disease had affect them? There’s a lot of anger. Mr. Bob sees studies about Alzheimer’s Disease, possible causes, possible treatments, but he knows none of them will help his wife. There’s also resentment. What happened to his freedom? They used to be so involved in their community, but now they spend their days together alone in the house.

Sue suggested that with this level of dementia Mr. Bob should consider 24 hour care. He was hesitant, so she suggested he would benefit from having a home health for aide at least 4-5 hours, 7 days a week. That way, the aide can foster a relationship and develop trust with Mrs. Bob, and Mr. Bob can decide whether or not he is comfortable with it. Either way, it would free up some time for him during the day.

Sue let Mr. Bob know that he was welcome to call her anytime with any new concerns, and she provided him with community resources for caregivers, like himself.

Living with Alzheimer's Without a Diagnosis

A new study recently found that of the 36 million people in the world who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia, 28 million are living without a diagnosis.  Alzheimer's is a terrible disease, but it is one that can be detected in its early stages.  Like many diseases, when it is found at an early stage, doctors can prescribe medications and treatments that delay the memory loss and other harmful effects that accompany Alzheimer's.  So, no matter what your age, remember to see your doctor regularly and request a dementia or Alzheimer's screening. 

Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt Diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer's

Pat Summitt, who has coached the Tennessee women's basketball team for the past 37 years, and who has been arguably the most influential woman in sports in the last two centuries, announced on Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.  This news came as a shock to the sports community, for throughout her career Summitt has established herself as a personification of strength, toughness, and unflappibility.  The fact that Summitt could develop the disease seems unfathomable.  Yet this is the nature of Alzheimer's - it can hit anyone, no matter how strong the person's character, personality, nature, anything.  It does not discriminate and it hits hard, often effecting the person's family just as much as the person.  Pat Summitt will certainly have a tough road ahead as the disease sets in, and here at Long Term Solutions we all wish her the very best.     

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.