alzheimer’s awareness tips in honor of national alzheimer’s disease awareness month

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Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

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Post on 22-Jun-2015

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In honor of November’s National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month, Sharon Roth Maguire, a geriatric nurse practitioner and vice president of quality and clinical operations for BrightStar Care® put together a list of tips to help families that are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. For more info visit http://www.brightstarcare.com/neurological-disorder-care.

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Page 1: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Page 2: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

In honor of November’s National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness month, Sharon Roth Maguire, a geriatric nurse practitioner and vice president of quality and clinical operations for BrightStar Care®, put together a list of tips to help families that are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease:

Page 3: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Put together a team. This isn’t a task you want to tackle alone. There are programs to assist families who are caring for Alzheimer’s sufferers. BrightStar Clinical Pathways offers a 30-day transitional-care program specializing in delirium and dementia. The evidence-based program is designed to empower people with dementia to be aware of their symptoms and know how to manage their condition. Throughout the course of the 30-day program, a registered nurse visits once a week and a specially trained caregiver visits an additional 4-5 times per week. The intense oversight and care schedule helps families stay involved and informed while providing the highest quality of care.

Page 4: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Recognize what’s normal. Forgetfulness is a common symptom of aging and isn’t always the result of Alzheimer’s or dementia. While forgetting what you had for dinner last night may be a typical slip of memory, forgetting how to prepare a favorite meal or putting things in unusual places are likely symptoms of something more serious. It’s important to make the distinction between what is normal and what is not.

Page 5: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Stay organized. With multiple physician orders, appointment dates and medications to take, things can get cluttered and unorganized quickly. An online tool, like CareTogether, helps keep communication open between caregivers and family members. CareTogether allows everyone involved in the care process to access calendar appointments, health updates and medicine scheduling for the individual. In addition, CareTogether has condition-specific resources available to further assist caregivers for specific conditions including dementia.

Page 6: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Record changes. Keep track of any changes in behavior and be prepared to explain the differences to the caregiver team. While changes may seem insubstantial, they could signify a decline in your loved one’s health or in many instances, another illness super-imposed on top of the underlying dementia.

Page 7: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month

Be supportive. Listen to your loved one and respect their needs. Coping with the diagnosis, symptoms and an overall lifestyle change can be extremely difficult. Keep communication open and make sure everyone involved in the care process can communicate their needs, emotions and even frustrations effectively. Although it may be difficult to talk openly, it can greatly relieve stress.

Page 9: Alzheimer’s Awareness Tips In Honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month