 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 a lot of people in need of support.
This November during National Family Caregivers Month, the
Alzheimer’s Association is encouraging people to lend a hand to
caregivers with these tips:
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.
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.
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 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 stopover 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 Clinical Trials. Joining the cause can
help families facing the disease know that they are not alone in
their fight.
About the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter:
The Alzheimer’s Association® is the world’s leading voluntary health
organization in Alzheimer’s research, care and support. Our 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 Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter covers an
87-county area with offices in Chicago, Joliet, Rockford,
Springfield, Bloomington, Peoria, Quincy and Carbondale. Since 1980,
the Chapter has provided reliable information and care consultation;
created supportive services for families; increased funding for
dementia research; and influenced public policy changes. The
Illinois Chapter serves more than half a million Illinois residents
affected by Alzheimer's disease, including more than 220,000
Illinois residents living with the disease. Our vision is a world
without Alzheimer's®. For more information visit
www.alz. org/illinois
or call our free 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
[Elizabeth Cook, Manager of Content
Creation] |
