Dementia Care Resource Guide Offers Insight Into Your New Role When Becoming Your Loved One's Caregiver

Northbrook, IL, February 22, 2013 --(PR.com)-- As your family member’s caregiver, you will have questions regarding the diagnosis, and need coping strategies, especially in the later stages of dementia. This guide addresses these points, and is full of useful for caring for a dementia patient.

The Facts and Figures report published by the Alzheimer’s Association in 2011 estimates that Alzheimer’s affected 5.4 million Americans, including 5.2 million people aged 65 and older. Managing Director of Homewatch CareGivers in Northbrook, Mitchell Abrams, puts those numbers into perspective. "In Northbrook seniors account for over 22% of the population, meaning that there are more than 7,300 seniors [in Northbrook]. We know that 1 in 8 seniors have some form of dementia, therefore in Northbrook alone over 900 seniors are likely to be suffering from dementia."

Dementia itself is not a disease, rather a set of symptoms related to the aging process. The Guide to Living with Dementia explains the natural progression of dementia, and provides a list of abnormal dementia behaviors that could mean your loved one is suffering from a different mental impairment, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Caring for someone you love with dementia can be an incredibly stressful task, and the guide offers suggestions for starting a conversation with your loved one regarding the care they are going to need, and provides ideas for helping you cope with your care giving responsibilities. Toward the end of the guidebook, you will find a short self-assessment quiz that asks questions to assess your stress level related to being a caregiver. Are you coping with the stress? Or do you notice you are close to a care giving burn-out?

If you are close to a care giving burn-out, you need to search for a third-party home care solution for your family member. Homewatch CareGivers in Northbrook specializes in dementia home care cases. Abrams notes,

Homewatch CareGivers is a dementia care pioneer and offers a specialized “Pathways to Memory” program, which features one-on-one interaction between your loved one and a caregiver, because we understand that personalized attention is the key to providing quality care for people living with memory impairments. In addition, the caregiver will engage your family to help you navigate your loved one’s changing needs.

Founded in 1980, Homewatch CareGivers has been delivering exceptional care to the elderly and their families for over 30 years. Our mission is to preserve dignity, protect independence, and provide peace of mind for clients and their families through exceptional home care services.