Understanding Alzheimer’s is crucial for caregivers to manage emotions
http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-stages-behaviors.asp?WT.mc_id=enews2013_05_29
People with Alzheimer’s often have difficulty expressing emotions, which can lead to aggression, wandering and other ways of acting out. Caregivers may experience frustration, but understanding what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s can help with caring for a loved one with the disease.
Learn more at our Caregiver Center >>
Your donation can advance Alzheimer’s research and support programs
The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to fighting the Alzheimer’s disease epidemic, but we can’t do it alone. Consider a tax-deductible monthly donation that will help advance vital research initiatives and support programs for people facing Alzheimer’s.
Learn more about monthly donations >>
Do a little big thing to help end Alzheimer’s disease
http://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_join_the_cause.asp
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s. There are small things anyone can do to help end the disease, America’s sixth-leading cause of death. Stay informed. Become an advocate. Learn the facts. Join the cause today. Everyone can help — especially you.
Get started >>
Watch our new television commercial >>
Special focus on long-distance caregiving
\http://www.alzheimers-illinois.org/enewsletter/may2013/caregiving.asp
Nearly 15% ofcaregivers for people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia are long-distance caregivers.
Mabel Bennett’s unyielding determination in the face of dementia was both a good and bad thing, her daughter Kelle Riley said.
On the one hand, Bennett’s need to appear vibrant and undiminished likely helped her hold on to many of her faculties longer than someone without the same resolve. But it also made knowing her limitations much more difficult, especially for Riley who lived hours from Bennett’s Ohio home. Bennett passed away in January of 2013.
“Even her doctor mentioned she was great at presenting a strong face,” said Riley, a former resident of suburban Naperville, who now lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. “When asked how she was doing, she’d always be like, ‘Oh, I’m just fine.’”
Mabel Bennett’s unyielding determination in the face of dementia was both a good and bad thing, her daughter Kelle Riley said.
On the one hand, Bennett’s need to appear vibrant and undiminished likely helped her hold on to many of her faculties longer than someone without the same resolve. But it also made knowing her limitations much more difficult, especially for Riley who lived hours from Bennett’s Ohio home. Bennett passed away in January of 2013.
“Even her doctor mentioned she was great at presenting a strong face,” said Riley, a former resident of suburban Naperville, who now lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. “When asked how she was doing, she’d always be like, ‘Oh, I’m just fine.’”
The recently released Alzheimer’s Association 2013 Facts & Figures report explores the challenges faced by long-distance caregivers. Nearly 15 percent of all those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia are living a distance of at least 1 hour from the affected person.
“The difficulties of Alzheimer’s and dementia are significant for all caregivers, but individuals who live a substantial distance from their loved ones face unique hardships,” said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services for the Alzheimer’s Association. “Long-distance caregivers have nearly double the out-of-pocket expenses of local caregivers, experience greater challenges assessing the care recipient’s conditions and needs, report more difficulty communicating with health care providers and often have higher levels of psychological distress and family discord in their caregiving experience.”
For Riley, long-distance caregiving meant developing a good rapport with her mother’s primary care physician — “that relationship was critical,” she said — and routine check-ins.
“I started calling every day,” Riley said. “A lot of the time, there was trauma or stress. She might have lost something or hid something and my step-father would call me and say, ‘You need to talk to her. You’re the only one who can calm her down.’”
Riley was a frequent visitor to Bennett’s home and spoke regularly with her two siblings, adding that everyone understood how important it was to present a united front when it came to their mother’s needs and how to address them.
“We worked together,” Riley said. “Our thought was that we’re all the family we’ll have left so we have to stick together.”
She also took advantage of the information found on the Alzheimer’s Association website. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a variety of educational and support resources, including its 24/7, toll-free Helpline, 800.272.3900, care consultation and online resources to assist families with the care management of someone living with Alzheimer’s regardless of geography.
Click here to learn more.
An artful approach to Alzheimer’s awareness
Students in art teacher Kimberly Magowan’s class at St. Agnes School in Springfield are exploring Alzheimer’s disease and turning their thoughts and reflections of the disease into works of art.
Eighth grader Claire Lavin is one of those students. Her intricate drawing and moving poem from the perspective of someone with dementia took Best in Show at a recent art showcase.
While no one in Lavin’s life has been affected, the student artist worked with her teacher to better understand and empathize with the millions of people dealing with the disease.
Magowan has personally connected with individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease, working with a local adult-day service agency and providing art therapy classes to those with dementia. Through Magowan’s education and guidance, her students are encouraged to be artistic as well as socially conscious of issues facing others in the community.
Magowan also plans to work with the Alzheimer’s Association in the future to continue to bring the Alzheimer’s cause to her students.
To learn more about getting involved with the Alzheimer’s Association in the Springfield area, contact Tina Arnold at tarnold@alz.org.