Alzheimer's Support Groups

Caregivers play a crucial role in the care of dementia patients. Providing care for dementia patients results in stress related health impacts to the caregiver. The caregivers go through a journey with the dementia patient and need a strong support system. The best approach to dementia care is for health care providers to provide information to and monitor the caregiver, in addition to the dementia patient, encourage the caregiver to take care of themselves, to seek support, and to work as a team to provide the best care for the dementia patient.

If you’re a caregiver you know that some days are better than others, but when you’re caring for a person who suffers from Alzheimer’s it can feel like things change from minute to minute. The professionals at Senior Care Transition Services provide free resources and senior living advice to people in the Dayton, OH, area who are looking for in home care providers, medical services, senior services, and assisted living communities. They know how trying caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be and they have 3 valuable tips for all of the dedicated caregivers out there:

The goals the National Social Advocacy Association for Alzheimer’s Patients is to collaborate with long term healthcare facilities in establishing an innovative, comprehensive social advocacy, intervention, and advance treatment programs in healthcare facilities serving or providing Alzheimer’s patients. One that will help stimulate the “Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous Systems sensory” nerves which will increase the cognitive and mobility functions in Alzheimer’s Patients Marieb, (2006). In addtiont to reducing caregiver’s burnouts, eliminate Alzheimer’s patients injuries due to neglect, increase caregiver’s social awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and its risks facts,

Everyday more and more people are effected by dementia. This disease is taking over the lives of innocent people around the world. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources have designed The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’ Disease. This plan focuses on many important areas greatly affected by this irreversible disease and concentrates on the struggles one faces during its presence. I found three areas to be very important to the future of Alzheimer’s and other dementias; Expand research aimed to identify and treat Alzheimer’s, Educate and support people with Alzheimer’s and their families upon diagnosis, and Enable family caregivers to continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being.

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

This stems from frustration, misunderstanding, and often times an actual inability for those afflicted to express themselves. Lives are forgotten, simple daily tasks become insurmountable feats, and those suffering can even have a distaste for the ones they love the most. The impact can be equally devastating for their family members and caregivers. A New York Times article even equated the emotional and physical toll of caregiving as similar to the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Graham). Over time, this disease becomes exponentially more domineering and destructive. Until we can better understand the functionally of Alzheimer's, people associated with the disease can seek counseling, support groups, and information on more efficient ways to cope. There is even a great outlook for these services to increase as The U.S. DHHS also included a goal to “Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Families” in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. As part of this goal, nationwide strategies include providing the resources to help family caregivers continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being; assisting families in planning for future care needs; and helping to maintain the dignity, safety, and rights of people with Alzheimer’s (National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease). As a result, quality of emotional

In the book, Surviving Alzheimer’s: Practical tips and soul-saving wisdom for caregivers, the writer, Paula Spencer Scott, gives insightful advice in regards to caring for someone that suffers from the unfortunate neurological disorder, Alzheimer’s. Scott does not hesitate to share multiple ideas, experiences about trying these ideas, and even included professional advice from geriatric specialist

On February 7, 2011 I attended the Alzheimer’s support group held at St. Roberts Adult Daycare Center in St. Charles, Missouri. Tina Joyner facilitated this group of nine caregivers and three students. There were two groups conducted simultaneously; one for the caregivers, the other for the individual who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia currently affecting 5.3 million Americans. Of the 5.3 million, 5.1 million people are the elderly population with two-thirds of those affected being women. There is no treatment available to cure dementia but measures can be taken to sustain the quality of life. Dementia not only affects the patients directly, but also family members and caregivers as well. Family members deal with patient’s memory loss, changes in personality and also have to take care of the ill patients financially. According to WHO, the cost of dementia in 2010 worldwide was estimated to be $604 billion dollars. Apart from the economic pressure, family members also deal with the physical and emotional pressures that come with dementia.

Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest

Alzheimer’s and Dementia are becoming more prevalent in America, caretakers and medical professionals are urging people to become more self-aware of these diseases. Dementia is a disease that can develop into other disorders such as Vascular Dementia or Parkinsons Disease; however, in most cases, it usually ends up as Alzhiemers. It 's a typically seen in older people; about, sixty five and older, so of course one would automatically put themselves, and their family out of the picture, that is until one of you gets it. In most cases one primarily thinks of Alzheimer’s and Dementia as diseases that they, as well as anyone close to them would necessarily not get anytime soon, or maybe even ever. Due to increased medical costs, and scarce specialized facilities; seniors with Alzheimer’s and Dementia are not quite the recieving proper, sustainable long-term care.

There are websites where research can be done to find dementia groups in your community and daily activities to do with your loved one. There's a lot you can do to help someone you care about with Alzheimer's enjoy their day-to-day activities. Even though people with the disease can get frustrated or confused easily, try to make things easier by leaving notes

Alzheimer’s is a degenerate disease of the brain. There are an estimated four million Americans that live with Alzheimer’s, it is believed that the disease accounts anywhere from 50 to 70 percent of all cases of dementia (UCSF medical center). The vast amount of cases leads me to believe that we would not need to look very far to find either a friend or family member distant or close that has had a personal or familial experience with this disease.

In the pamphlet Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Alzheimer’s Association adds late onset, traditionally known simply as Alzheimer’s, targets primarily people 65 and older. The disease follows a series of steps from mild decline with little noticed changes to very severe cognitive decline where the final stage of the disease is in progress (Basic 19-21). Throughout the stages, independence becomes lost and family members will become care takers and in the later stages nursing homes or hospice may be needed. One book encourages the care giver to communicate through body language, tone, and written instructions to help alleviate as much stress as possible for those living with Alzheimer’s (Living 47). The book further adds when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s remember to maintain patience and to show respect .

After Alzheimer's is diagnosed in a parent, or other elderly family member, the caregiver has the task of deciding what the best form of care for the patient is. In order to do this they have to fully understand what the disease is, and