Supporting Parents with Alzheimer's: Your parents took care of you, now how do you take care of them?

by Tanya Lee Howe

Overview

Many of us are unprepared and confused about how to proceed when our parent begins to suffer the effects of old age. If your parent has been diagnosed with a cognitive illness, 'Supporting Parents with Alzheimer's' will arm you with the knowledge to meet your parent’s psychological and physical needs so that he or she can continue to live comfortably and safely, without feeling like a burden.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770409040
Publisher:	Self-Counsel Press, Inc.
Publication date:	03/15/2013
Series:	Eldercare Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Already an experienced editor with Self-Counsel Press, Tanya Lee Howe also co-authored its successful 'Start and Run a Tattoo&Body Piercing Studio' title. Currently Tanya is sharing care of a mother with Alzheimer's with her sister-in-law. They learned to communicate their day shift/night shift mother care by keeping a detailed journal. Exclusive to 'Supporting Parents with Alzheimer’s' is a technique that author Tanya Lee Howe developed called the “mom book". It’s a coordination tool that will become invaluable to you, your elderly parent, and anyone else involved in care-giving. This method of documentation is a new angle on elder care.

Table of Contents

Notice xi Dedication xiii Author’s Note xv Introduction xvii 10 Moving Your Parent into Your Home 1 1. Signs Your Parent Can No Longer Cope on His or Her Own 3 1.1 Living conditions 3 1.2 Behavioral signs 4 1.3 Physical signs 5 1.4 Financial signs 6 2. Talk to Your Family First 6 2.1 Explaining the situation to your children 7 2.2 Talking with your spouse 7 2.3 Consider your relationship with your parent 8 vi Supporting Parents with Alzheimer’s 2.4 Work and activity schedules 8 2.5 Increased living expenses 9 2.6 Renovations 10 2.7 Create a backup plan 10 3. The “Talk” with Your Parent 10 3.1 Enlist a doctor’s help 12 3.2 Contact a therapist or counselor 14 3.3 Contact the Alzheimer Society 14 4. Power of Attorney and Health-Care Directives 14 20 The Memory Book 17 1. Introducing the Memory Book to Your Parent 20 1.1 Finding the right book for your parent 21 1.2 What to include in the Memory Book 22 1.3 Making the Memory Book unique 23 1.4 Helping your parent add to the Memory Book 23 1.5 Take the Memory Book everywhere your parent goes 24 2. Help the Person to Manage Triggers 25 2.1 What causes triggers? 26 30 Alzheimer’s Planner for Caregivers 29 1. Building Your Planner 30 1.1 Behavior and mood swings 31 1.2 Medical information 31 1.3 Medicine and allergies 31 1.4 Finances and insurance policies 32 1.5 Contact information and special events 33 1.6 Miscellaneous 34 2. Stay Organized 34 Contents vii 40 Adjusting to the New Living Environment 45 1. Helping Your Parent Sort through His or Her Personal Items 45 2. Finding Important Paperwork 48 3. Preparing Your Home 49 3.1 Physical disabilities 49 3.2 Make your home safe 50 3.3 Be prepared for wandering 51 3.4 Making adjustments and incorporating house rules 53 4. Dealing with Elderly Addictions 53 5. Create Jobs in the Home 54 6. Include Humor and Love into Your Daily Lives 55 50 Who to Contact about the Move 57 1. Who to Contact 58 1.1 Mail forward 59 1.2 Health care 59 1.3 Birth certificate 60 1.4 Banks 60 1.5 Insurance companies 61 1.6 Pensions 61 1.7 Tax authority 62 1.8 Closing accounts 62 1.9 MedicAlert and Safely Home® 63 1.10 Preplanned funeral policy 63 1.11 Friends and family 63 2. When Your Parent Owns His or Her Home 63 3. Health-Care Providers 64 viii Supporting Parents with Alzheimer’s 4. Asking Your Parent to Relinquish His or Her Driver’s License 65 5. Living Will 67 60 Finances and Fraud Protection 69 1. Setting up a Joint Bank Account 70 2. Taxes 71 3. Debts 71 4. Benefits 72 5. Fraud Protection 72 70 Understanding the Disease 75 1. Your Parent Has Rights 76 2. Person-Centered Care 77 3. Health problems 78 4. Communication 78 5. Simplify 79 6. Dealing with Problem Behaviors 80 6.1 Shadowing 81 6.2 Sundowning 81 6.3 Inappropriate language and topics 81 6.4 Problems with eating 82 6.5 Problems with clothing 83 6.6 Problems with bathing 84 80 Activities 87 1. Alzheimer Café 88 2. Pet Love 88 3. Shopping 90 4. Family Celebrations and Dining Out 91 Contents ix 5. Walking and Driving Tours 92 6. Music 93 7. Gardening 94 8. Wrapping Presents and Decorating the Home for the Holidays 94 9. Sports and Exercise 95 10. Other Activities 96 11. Day Programs for People with Alzheimer’s 98 90 Elder Abuse 101 1. Types of Elder Abuse 101 1.1 Emotional and psychological abuse 102 1.2 Physical and sexual abuse 102 1.3 Neglect and abandonment 103 1.4 Financial abuse 104 2. Report Elder Abuse 105 3. Spousal Abuse 105 4. A Personal Story of Emotional Abuse and Neglect 107 100 Self-Care for the Caregiver 111 1. Signs of Caregiver Burnout 112 2. Take Care of Yourself 113 3. Get Help 114 3.1 Join a support group 115 Resources 117 Alzheimer’s Planner for Caregivers 121 x Supporting Parents with Alzheimer’s Samples 1 Doctor’s Appointment Notes 35 2 Medical Contacts 36 3 Family Medical History 37 4 Record of Surgeries and Hospital Stays 38 5 Medical Devices and Special Needs 39 6 Medicine and Allergy Information 40 7 Financial Updates 41 8 Special Events 42 9 Personal Contacts 43