November is National Caregivers Awareness Month Health and state officials have released an online guide for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and other demenitas.
The guide is called "Dementia Capable Wisconsin: A guide for family caregivers."
Approximately 110,000 people in Wisconsin are living with dementia. Department of Health Services spokesperson Kristen Felten says the guide helps family members, friends, and loved ones so they can offer the best support and also stay healthy themselves....
"....a lot of caregivers are adult children caring for their parents and are part of what's called the 'sandwich generation', where they're providing care for their kids at home and their parents as well...."
The guide offers information about what’s happening to these older family members and can help families determine the next steps needed to keep these relatives safe.
It includes very short videos showing ways caregivers can interact and assist these family members, including how to physically approach someone with dementia, use reminiscence to redirect them and how to deal with a family member with dementia who wants to leave their residence... among other real life situations caregivers face....
"....pretty complete guide that covers most of the common behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's and other dementias. It's not going to be the answer for everyone for all situations. It helps give caregivers a framework to use to help work through some of the more challenging situations...."
Information about Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, and local resources and services, can be found on the DHS website. A link is here.
