How Can Caregivers Find Time for Self-Care?

Family caregivers need to take time out for self care.
Family caregivers need to take time out for self care.

It’s not uncommon for a caregiver to start their journey in a crisis when a family member gets a devastating diagnosis—like Alzheimer’s, cancer, or heart disease—that causes physical or cognitive restrictions on independent daily living.

Considerable’s recent article entitled “How family caregivers can use a Monday routine to reinvent self-care” reports that more than 34 million Americans are caring for a loved one over the age of 50.

Although many caregivers take on their role willingly, they may be forfeiting much needed time for self-care. These sacrifices can accumulate over time, since most caregivers spend an average of four years and 80-160 hours a month in their caregiving role. For individuals taking care of a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s, it can be double that with additional stress.

Creating a routine can give calm to caregivers. A program that is based on a healthy weekly routine is Caregiver Monday, part of The Monday Campaign’s nonprofit public health initiative.

Most caregivers have their regular routines drastically changed, when caring for a family member, This gives caregivers a feeling of a loss of control. When added to the inability to control the disease or disability that impacts loved ones, caregivers can suddenly feel overwhelmed with increased anxiety and chronic stress. This psychological state is called loss of locus of control and has two paths: (i) internal locus of control; and (ii) external locus of control. Caregivers can’t gain external locus of control over the situation or disease, but they can increase internal locus of control—that’s the response they have to these situations. Creating a new routine is part of reestablishing internal locus of control.

A routine can help caregivers cope with change, focus on healthy habits and decrease their stress. It can also help restore balance in a caregiver’s life. Monday gives us a natural refresh point, because it’s part of our cultural DNA. Monday is the start of the work week and the school week, so it makes sense that caregivers can use Monday as the start of a sustainable effort towards improved self-care.

Caregiver Monday provides self-care practices and promotion, and focuses on physical, emotional and social health behavioral change, by helping caregivers commit to weekly efforts. A 2019 survey of 1,000 adult Americans conducted by Data Decisions Group for The Monday Campaigns found that 64% of respondents said if they begin on Monday with a positive frame of mind, they’re more apt to remain positive for the rest of the week. Those surveyed reported they were also more likely to start exercise routines, eat healthier and make doctor’s appointments on Mondays.

Here are three ideas to begin a Caregiver Monday routine. Instead of the Monday blues, caregivers can use Monday as their personal “Fun Day,” to focus on themselves. Caregivers can:

  • Follow Caregiver Monday on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for ideas every week on finding self-care practices.
  • Get involved with the caregiving community on these social sites to feel less alone.
  • Ask friends and family to assist with respite care to get a self-care break.

Even with the disruption and the distress, caregivers can use Monday to have a little fun. You can don your favorite color on Mondays or watch YouTube videos of baby animals (a scientific study shows that this can have a positive effect on mood and productivity). Most importantly, thank yourself with little self-care activities and be grateful you can be there for your family member every day.

For more information on issues of concern for the elderly see  https://galligan-law.com/elder-financial-abuse-is-increasing/.

Reference: Considerable (May 11, 2020) “How family caregivers can use a Monday routine to reinvent self-care”

 

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The Symptoms of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease

Here are 7 key symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Many people face cognitive challenges as they age, such as memory loss.  Some suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and some even have early-onset Alzheimer’s.  Considerable’s recent article entitled “7 surprising early signs of Alzheimer’s” provides us with some signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Theft or other law-breaking. Any behavioral change as people age is of concern, but this can be a sign of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), another progressively damaging, age-related brain disorder. FTD usually hits adults aged 45-65. People’s executive function—their ability to make decisions—can be impacted by FTD, which may explain why they become unable to discern right from wrong.  I have had clients in the past discover this condition after an arrest or fine lead to a medical exam.

Frequent falls. A study of 125 older adults asked them to record how frequently in an eight-month period that they fell or tripped. Researchers examined the brain scans of those who fell most frequently and saw a correlation between falls and early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Forgetting an object’s function. We all forget where we put the keys. However, if you can’t remember what a key is for, or where dirty dishes are supposed to go, then it may be the first signs of Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia.

Inappropriate diet. Prior to the onset of Alzheimer’s, patients typically to eat more (roughly 500 calories more a day) than their aging counterparts but they still tend to lose weight. Doctors think this is a metabolic change. Some elderly actually eat inanimate objects prior to their diagnosis, but researchers don’t know the reason. Because Alzheimer’s and dementia affect the brain’s memory, it may be because their brain receives hunger signals but is unable to discern how to react to them. Some patients eat paper or other inedible objects.

Inability to recognize sarcasm. If you fail to recognize sarcasm or take it very literally and seriously, it may be a sign of atrophy in your brain. A study at the University of California – San Francisco found that Alzheimer’s patients and those with Frontotemporal Disease were among those who couldn’t recognize sarcasm in face-to-face encounters. The brain’s posterior hippocampus is impacted, which is where short-term memory is stored and where a person sorts out such things, like sarcasm.

Depression. If someone has never suffered from clinical depression but develops it after age 50, it could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s. It doesn’t mean if you’re diagnosed with depression in older age that you will develop Alzheimer’s or other cognitive decline. However, get treatment soon because some researchers believe that hormones released in the depressed brain may damage certain areas of it, leading to the development of Alzheimer’s or other dementia.

Unfocused Staring. Alzheimer’s Disease is a change in cognitive and executive functioning in the brain. This means that your ability to recall facts, memories and information is compromised, as well as the ability to make decisions. The brain becomes unfocused and staring in a detached way may be an early sign of so-called “tangles” in your brain.

If you are interest in this topic, I also wrote a blog on early onset dementia more generally which you can find here.  https://galligan-law.com/what-do-we-know-about-early-onset-dementia/

These symptoms may be signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, or they may be the signs of other underlying issues. If you or any of your loved ones have any of these signs, consult your doctor.  This may be a sign of something else but talk to your doctor to be safe.

Reference: Considerable (May 12, 2020) “7 surprising early signs of Alzheimer’s”

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What Do We Know about Early-Onset Dementia?

There is an increase in early-onset dementia cases which presents unique issues for families. Consider early testing and long-term care insurance to help.

Rita Benezra Obeiter, 59, is a former pediatrician who was diagnosed several years ago with early-onset dementia, a rare form of the disease. When this occurs in people under age 65, the conditions cause additional and unique issues because they are so unexpected and because most of the potentially helpful programs and services are designed for and targeted to older people.

One issue is that doctors typically don’t look for the disease in younger patients. As a result, it can be months or even years before the right diagnosis is made and proper treatment can start.

WLNY’s recent article entitled “Some Health Care Facilities Say They’re Seeing More Cases Of Early-Onset Dementia Than Ever Before” reports that her husband Robert Obeiter left his job two years ago to care for her. She attends an adult day care, and aides help at home at night.

If Dementia is a generic term for diseases characterized by a decline in memory, language, and other thinking skills required to perform everyday activities, Alzheimer’s is the most common. The National Institute of Health reports that there’s approximately 200,000 Americans in their 40s, 50s, and early 60s with early onset Alzheimer’s.  These numbers have lead to the consideration of Alzheimer’s legislation.  See here.  https://galligan-law.com/elder-law-community-follows-proposed-new-alzheimers-legislation/ 

One conference discussed a rise in early dementia because of the processed foods and fertilizers or the other environmental hazards, and there are definitely some genes more associated with Alzheimer’s—more so with early onset.  There is no clear answer, and most of the treatments help to slow down the progression.

There is some research showing the Mediterranean diet can be protective, as well as doing cognitive exercises like crossword puzzles and Sudoku.

It’s true that no one can predict the future of their health, but there are ways financially that families can prepare for early-onset dementia. It can cost $150,000 a year or more. That’s why you should think about purchasing long term care insurance starting at the age of 40.  You should also have your estate plan reviewed well before memory becomes a significant issue to make sure the plan facilities long-term are planning.

Long-term health insurance can pay for an aide to come into your home, and it can pay for the cost of assisted living. And, remember that health insurance doesn’t cover long-term care, nor does Medicare.  Making sure you have a financial power of attorney prepared by an elder law attorney will provide your family with the flexibility they need to handle your financial needs, bills and so on.

If you are faced with this condition or have a family history of it, consider long-term care insurance early and make sure to review your estaet plan every few years to stay up to date.

Reference: WLNY (Feb. 12, 2020) “Some Health Care Facilities Say They’re Seeing More Cases Of Early-Onset Dementia Than Ever Before”

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