Q&A
Caregiving resources recommended for people with dementia.
My parents have dementia and need my help with some basic things. I’m struggling with the new responsibilities and didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Your articles on ThirdAge are so helpful, but I feel like I need a caregiving course. Can you recommend some resources to help me feel less alone and to help me give my parents the best care?
Hi, so sorry to hear you are struggling with your new role as a caregiver to your folks, but congratulations for reaching out for help! Even though there are over 50 million caregivers in the US, the common thread I have observed is that caregivers often feel alone. When I took care of my parents (both with dementia), I noticed that what helped me feel less alone and increased my knowledge the fastest was by reading statistics. Here are two of my favorite sites:
www.thefamilycaregiver.org/who_are_family_caregivers/care_giving_statsti...
www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_figures.asp.
I strongly recommend that you get into a support group ASAP, as solutions will start to present themselves when you are around others going through similar situations. Ask your parents’ healthcare professionals, doctors, and the nearby hospitals to direct you to the most appropriate group. There are also many online support groups. Here’s one I like as it has a variety of groups listed: www.caregiving.com/support/html/group.htm
There are also many books and tapes on caregiving available (see Amazon.com or BN.com and type in caregiving), but of course I have to recommend my own too! I always say that if I had been able to read my own book (Elder Rage www.elderrage.com) before I started my caregiving journey, it would have saved me a year of my life and a fortune in Kleenex! Also available is my 2 ½ hour caregiving lecture on a 14 hour CD, which includes caregiving answers from 12 top eldercare experts. Additionally, you can listen for free to hundreds of interviews I have done with healthcare professionals on my radio show, Coping with Caregiving, at www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving
Hang in there and the most important thing I can tell you is to put yourself first and take very good care of YOU, so you don’t get sick from the stress you are under. It happens all the time, even to me, as I developed breast cancer, I believe, from the stress I endured as a caregiver. Please don’t let that happen to you!
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