Recognizing the Challenges of Multiple-Duty Caregivers November is National Caregiving Month. We respectfully take time to honor our professional caregivers. We also recognize our equally important unpaid caregivers. Especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we pay tribute to these frontline workers. But what about those people who are double—or even triple—duty caregivers? Read more
What the RAISE Family Caregivers Act Means for Caregivers Too often while providing care to our loved ones, we may find ourselves lacking things like services, respite options, financial security, workplace security and education to address the challenges we face every day. To try to address this shortcoming, the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, & Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act was signed into law in January of 2018 to come up with a national family caregiving plan. Read more
Participating in Dementia Clinical Trials and Research Studies as a Caregiver As a dementia caregiver, you’ve most likely seen references to research studies, surveys and clinical trials when researching your loved one’s condition. Whether it’s the World Health Organization’s statistic that 55 million people around the world have dementia or the suggestion that exercise and a healthy diet can lower the risk of developing dementia, most of what we know about the disease comes from rigorous research. Read more
Planning Ahead for the Approaching Holiday Season as a Caregiver Holidays often have a special meaning for older adults and their family members. They are occasions set aside to acknowledge the passage of time, celebrate significant events in our lives and bring families and friends to come together. By making the most of these special moments, we can truly value our time together with the ones we love. Read more
Sundowning and Dementia: What to do About Late-Day Behaviors For those with dementia and their caregivers, the late day hours can often be a disorienting, stressful time. When the sun goes down, individuals with dementia may become agitated, restless, confused, irritable and at times even delirious—seeing and hearing things that are not there—to a greater extent than they do early in the day. This symptom of dementia is known as “sundowning” or “Sundowners Syndrome.” For individuals with dementia and their caregivers, it can be a scary, upsetting nightly occurrence. Read more
15th Annual Katz Policy Lecture: National Family Caregiving Strategies and Policy Recommendations from the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council This year, the 15th annual Katz Policy Lecture, sponsored by AARP Ohio, will examine the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop and maintain a national strategy to recognize and support family caregivers. The Act identifies actions that communities, providers, the government and others are taking to help family and friend caregivers, and aims to improve information sharing, collaboration, government support and assessment of caregiver programming across these efforts. Our keynote speaker, Alan B. Stevens, PhD, will discuss family caregiving strategies and policy recommendations from the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council, and the impact these will have on our communities. Following our keynote speaker, a reactor panel of industry experts will give their responses to the presentation, and discuss how the Act impacts different types of individuals and communities, as well as state level policy. Read more
Evidence-Based Programs: How They Help Caregivers of People Living with Dementia Dr. David Bass, Senior Vice President, Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Center for Research and Education at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, discusses evidence-based programs, how they can help individuals with dementia and their family and friend caregivers, and how to access them in your area. This video was developed as a part of the Expansion of Dementia-Capable Communities within Urban and Rural Settings in Ohio using Evidence-Based and Informed Programming project, funded by the Administration for Community Living, Alzheimer’s Disease Program’s Initiative. Read more
Creative Arts Programming for Older Adults Finding meaningful ways to engage with an older loved one can be a challenge, especially during the pandemic. For those looking for an activity to do together with a loved one—whether indoors or outdoors—creative arts may be a good place to start! Helping a loved one get in touch with their creative side can offer many benefits and may be easier to do than we think. Read more
Communicating a Loved One’s Health and Dementia Behaviors to Children Finding out that a family member has dementia and providing care for them can be full of both challenges and meaningful moments. It also impacts the whole family. When we add children into the mix, certain situations can get even more difficult to handle. Many of us may be struggling with how to communicate a loved one’s health or dementia-related behaviors to young children, such as a loved one’s grandchildren, especially regarding what to say and how to say it. However, having these important discussions can also be a positive shifting point in our relationships with them. Read more
Making the Transition to Long Term Care a Successful Choice Have you made the decision to transition your loved one to long-term care? This can change your role as a caregiver and return your relationship with your loved one to one that is more personal and familial. How can you make this a decision that both incorporates your loved one’s preferences and supports their personal values? This webinar will discuss important topics for this transition, including the assessment process, how to communicate with long-term care facilities and care planning. Read more
