Her engagement was not the only thing Leeza Gibbons announced this week. In honor of Alzheimers Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month, she also launched a new campaign Stand Together for AD: Strength and Support for Alzheimers Disease -- to empower caregivers and provide them with resources.
Partnering with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at http://alzheimersdisease.com, Gibbons continues her personal mission to educate the public and health professionals not only about Alzheimers disease but about caring for the caregiver. The author of Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss, learned first-hand what it was like for a family to cope with Alzheimers disease when her own mother received the diagnosis at age 63.
There are currently 11 million unpaid caregivers of people with Alzheimers or other dementias in the U.S. Creating an environment of awareness of all these hours of unpaid service is important, says Gibbons, because theres not a lot of identification and support for that in communities. When we gather more strength as a collective voice, the windfall will be legislative changes for caregiver relief, respite, and work leave. We dont yet have that kind of unity.
Gibbons goal is to educate, encourage, and empower caregivers to reach out for help, know their limitations, build a team, and have a plan. Because caregiving of AD individuals is so draining and intense often the loved one does not even recognize their family members there is always the danger of caregiver burn out. There is so much wisdom and incredible unique expertise in these people who show up for service out of love and commitment, observes Gibbons. Resources at the website include inspirational stories from fellow caregivers as well as caregiver coping tips and access to a caregiver support program. Newly named as AARPs Ambassador of Care, Gibbons is in this arena for the long haul. But she hasnt abandoned her public forum as a talk show host. Her Hollywood Confidential radio show is syndicated to 100 stations across the U.S. and Canada; and she hosts the PBS series My Generation, which is aimed at Baby Boomers.With family members living longer, Boomers are the ones inheriting the challenge of caregiving. Yet our children will inherit perhaps an even bigger challenge. One thing that helped Leezas family was that her mother advised them about how to handle some of the caregiving challenges before she lost her own identity to the disease. Its important that the Boomer generation make their wishes known and leave instructions about caregiving and finances written down someplace. This is actually addressed at http://alzheimersdisease.com with resources for asking and answering the right questions in regard to legal and medical issues.
Having started the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation in honor of her mother, Gloria Jean Dyson Gibbons, Leezas work has extended to creating eight (so far) resource centers Leezas Place -- across the country that provide free support to caregivers impacted by chronic or progressive illness. If you know a caregiver direct them to the resources Leeza has helped make available. About the author: Judy Kirkwoods sister is the primary caregiver for her mother, who suffers from stroke-induced dementia.Do you havea family member with Alzheimers? Comment below.
