Nighttime Day Cares for People with Dementia and Alzheimers

In my recent interview with the author of Becoming Dead Right: A hospice volunteer in urban nursing homes, Frances Shani Parker told me about a new concept that is spreading across the nation. Nighttime Day Care Facilities for people with dementia and Alzheimers. Instead of giving the caregiver a break during the workday, the caregiver gets a good night sleep. This is exceptionally helpful because people with dementia tend to be up and night and want to be entertained. No wonder so many caregivers are exhausted if they are up all night taking care of their loved one. Not only is this a great idea for the caregiver, the person with dementia gets the interaction and attention they need. They feel less frustrated, less isolated and more content.

You can start out with one or two times a week and add more as necessary. There will be a period of adjustment but most people really enjoy getting out and spending time at these day or night cares. Frances also said that this can be a good option for people who will eventually need to go to a care facility full time. Going to day or night day care will help the person transition more easily when the time comes.

This is also good for business because now the day care can cater to a whole new group of customers. The night time crowd.

If you would like to listen to the interview about what we can do to improve nursing homes and the recent regulatory changes mandating these changes, click on http://tinyurl.com/lrjj8c. You can listen on line or download it through itunes.

Have a kind and respectful day.

The day my dad was shot in the dementia unit.

Let me reassure you before the story begins that everything turned out all right. My dad fluctuated from mild to moderate dementia. When he became confused, his delusions would frequently return him to World War 2. He lived in an Alzheimer’s/dementia unit, but he was quite high functioning. One day I got a call from my dad and he tells me that he’s been shot by a small caliber pistol. He sounded alright and in no pain on the phone, so I began to ask questions. “Where were you shot dad?” He replied, “I have been shot in the stomach but it is probably not too bad because they were bullets from a small caliber pistol.” (Well, I didn’t know what size bullets come from a small caliber pistol but since he wasn’t too concerned, then neither was I.) I asked him if the people who shot him were still in the building. “I think they’re in the hallway” he said with a very frightened voice. I asked him if it was okay if I got the nurse to come and check on his wounds. He said it was okay but that she should be careful. I called the nurses station and explained the situation. I said that I thought that my dad was okay but perhaps his description of being shot in his stomach meant that he was having stomach problems and just couldn’t report symptoms accurately. She said she would go right down and then call me after she checked on him. I got a call a few minutes later and she said that he seemed to be just fine but he had again mentioned that he had been shot by a small caliber pistol. I asked, “Could you do me a favor and take out the bullets?” There was silence on the other end of the phone. I explained that he wouldn’t rest comfortably if he still thought the bullets were in him and maybe she could just push on his belly and tell him that the bullets had popped out. She thought it was a great idea and went in and to remove the bullets. She came back to the phone and let me know the bullets were out and he was feeling better. At this point neither of us thought it was funny. Even the nurse was serious about taking out imaginary bullets and helping my dad. (Now I knew it was funny but at the same time, my dad was so afraid of the people lurking in the hallways, I wasn’t in a laughing mood.)

How did the story end? After the nurse left, he said he felt much better but he was still very frightened because the shooters were still in the building. I told him that I would send in the special forces and they would clear building of the enemy. I told him that the special forces were so stealth that he wouldn’t see them or hear them in the hallways. It would just be done. (I don’t know much about the military so I had to think fast and try to figure out something that sounded realistic for him.) I called back later to see if my dad was doing better and he was relaxed and comfortable. He felt better and was able to get a good night’s sleep because I had protected him as he had protected me throughout the years. Each time my dad would come out of his delusional state, which fortunately only lasted for a few hours at a time, he would say to me, “I think I was confused right?” And I would respond, “Yes you were, but you’re okay now.” I realized at that time that it was better to choose to comfort someone with dementia rather than to argue with them and make them wrong. I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive to get people more engaged in reality, but when they reach out and tell us they are suffering, we should do our best to support and reassure them. I love telling this story because it makes me think of my dad.  My dad was a wonderful person. He died five years ago this month and I would give anything to hear one of his crazy stories again.

Have a kind and respectful day.

Alzheimer’s resources, thank you Suzanne Holman, listen to the interview http://tinyurl.com/qx2g8g

http://www.AlzheimersintheFamily.com
Blog and website
Sign up for the free monthly Gathering Call

http://www.Alz.org
Alzheimer’s Association

http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/
ADEAR
Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center of the National Institute of Health

http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers/
HBO The Alzheimer’s Project

http://www.geoffreybeene.com/alzheimers.html
ABC Nightline report on Alzheimer’s disease, featuring Meryl Comer, President of the Geoffrey Beene Gives Back® Alzheimer’s Initiative.
37% risk….two of the markers for Alz

www.askdrjamie.net
Weekly National Telephone Support

The Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association site offers a wealth of helpful information for patients, family members, and care givers. Well- organized and easy to use (including a full index and search engine), it includes information about the organization and its many chapters; resources for care givers; medical and public policy information; a suggested reading list, a schedule of conferences; and links to other Internet resources, including sites maintained by local chapters of the Association.
Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center

The ADEAR Center, a service of the National Institutes on Aging, provides a wealth of information about Alzheimer’s disease for Alzheimer’s patients, families and caregivers. The site offers research updates, referrals to other Alzheimer’s centers, a list of publications, a clinical trial database, and a calendar of events.

Ask NOAH About Alzheimer’s Disease
Ask NOAH About Alzheimer’s Disease is a section of NOAH: New York Online Access to Health, an extensive site provided by a group of organizations including the New York Academy of Medicine, the New York City Department of Health, and the New York Hospital- Cornell Medical Center. Written in clear lay language, it includes information about the causes and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease; the latest treatments; suggestions for care givers; and resources and links for further information.

Alzheimer’s Research Foundation
The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research focuses on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease while providing research studies, information about caring for people with Alzheimer’s and understanding more about the disease.

Alzheimer’s Resource Room
Disease information and tips for caregivers are provided at this US Department of Health and Human Service site.

http://www.dana.org/news/braininthenews/ Brain in the News

Suzanne Holman on Thursday, May 21st, at 10pst on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics “Keeping sane, healthy and professional when your parent has alzheimers.”

I will be interviewing Suzanne Holman on Thursday, May 21st, at 10pst on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics “Keeping sane, healthy and professional when your parent has Alzheimers.” She will be discussing how to be more productive at work while you are caring for your loved one with Alzheimers.

Suzanne Holman of Suzanne Holman International is the founder of the Alzheimer’s in the Family Coaching Program. She created this program to support business women who have a parent with Alzheimer’s to stay sane, healthy, and professional.
Suzanne has a background in nutrition, fitness, psychology, technology, and emotional intelligence. She has also had the life experience of a mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago. You can access her blog and website at www.AlzheimersintheFamily.com

Suzanne Holman International is a coaching and training company committed to supporting women worldwide in creating a life that has the elements that are important to them. In our Alzheimer’s in the Family program we support businesswomen who have a parent with Alzheimer’s to stay sane, healthy, and professional. We offer specific strategies to support you during all phases of your parent’s Alzheimer’s journey. Programs we offer are a free Gathering Call each month, small group coaching, and teleseminar programs.

Jacqueline Marcell, Author of Elder Rage, May 19th, 5PM pst, on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics – “Strategies for Dealing with the Difficult Aging Parent.”

I will be interviewing Jacqueline Marcell, Author of Elder Rage, May 19th, 5PM pst, on blogtalkradio.com/kindethics – “Strategies for Dealing with the Difficult Aging Parent.”

It is my pleasure to introduce you to JACQUELINE MARCELL – (949) 975-1012

JACQUELINE MARCELL was so compelled by caring for her elderly parents, both with early Alzheimer’s not properly diagnosed for over a year, that once she figured everything out she gave up her stalled career as a television executive to become an advocate for eldercare awareness and reform. She is the devoted daughter in her best-selling book, Elder Rage (www.ElderRage.com) a Book-of-the-Month Club selection being considered for a film. Over 50 endorsements include: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic, and the National Adult Day Services Association who honored her with their Media Award. She also received “Advocate of the Year” from the National Association of Women Business Owners at their Remarkable Women Awards.

Jacqueline is a sought-after international speaker who has spoken at hundreds of events including to the National Security Agency and Florida House of Representatives. She’s been interviewed on the TODAY SHOW and CNN, and was featured on the cover of the AARP BULLETIN. Jacqueline also hosts a radio show, Coping with Caregiving on wsRadio.com, where 7 years of her interviews with healthcare professionals are archived for free listening-on-demand: www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving. She also writes columns for AgingCare.com (www.agingcare.com/Experts/1108/Caregiving) and ThridAge.com (www.thirdage.com/expert-voices/jacqueline-marcell), and as a breast cancer survivor, Jacqueline advocates that everyone, especially caregivers, closely monitor their own health. Her website is www.ElderRage.com.

JACQUELINE’S MISSIONS ARE TO: encourage long-term care planning; enlighten healthcare professionals how they can better help the families they work with; empower caregivers with solutions and hope, and to always put their own health first; encourage funding for Alzheimer’s research and heighten early diagnosis awareness; expose elder abuse and exploitation; advocate for funding for Adult Day Care Services; and to help improve eldercare laws.

KEY POINT: The importance of EARLY diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s–and that there can still be a good life after a diagnosis of dementia, if it is properly balanced medically and behaviorally.

STARTLING ELDERCARE STATISTICS

• There are 78 million US Baby Boomers (those born 1946-1964) among 300 million. Every year, more than 50 million Americans provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend.

• The average life expectancy at the turn of the last century was 47. With advances in medicine, in 2008, average life expectancy is 82.1 for males and 85 for women.

• By 2025, there will be over 62 million Americans over the age of 65–almost double in 25 years.

• The fastest growing segment of our population is the 85+ group–and half of them need some help with personal care.

• Over 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s–more than double since 1980. 1 in 10 say they have a family member with Alzheimer’s, and 1 in 3 say they know someone with the disease.

• Alzheimer’s does not happen overnight. It begins to attack the brain 10 to 20 years before the first symptoms. A person will live an average of 8 and as many as 20 years from the onset of symptoms.

• Increasing age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. 1 in 8 over age 65, and nearly half over the age of 85 are afflicted. Rare, inherited forms can even strike victims in their 30’s and 40’s.

• More than 7 out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s live at home, where their family and friends provide 75% of their care. The remaining 25% is paid-for care costing an average of $19,000 per year–which families pay mostly all out-of-pocket.

• By 2012, 75% of Americans age 65 and over will require long-term care–an estimated 43% to spend time in a nursing home. Half of all nursing home residents have Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.

• The annual cost of Alzheimer’s care in the U.S. is at least $100 BILLION. With 78 million Baby Boomers reaching their Golden Years soon, our health care system will be overcome, bankrupting Medicare and Medicaid.

• The estimated annual value of all types of informal caregiving is $257 BILLION.

• Medicare expenditures for people with Alzheimer’s are nearly 3 times higher than the average for all beneficiaries. Half of all Medicare beneficiaries with dementia also receive Medicaid because they have exhausted their own resources.

• Alzheimer’s Disease costs American business $61 BILLION a year–60% of that is the cost of the lost productivity and absenteeism of workers having to take time off to care for their sick loved ones.

• By delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease in individuals for five years, we could save 50% in annual health care costs. Even a one-month delay in nursing home placement is estimated to be able to save $1 BILLION a year. Early diagnosis and treatment is the key.

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