Understanding Alzheimers: Free Caregiver Workshop Nov. 4

Are you caring for a family member or friend afflicted with Alzheimer’s? Family caregivers and also professionals are invited to a free workshop at Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center Nov. 4 (Monday). The workshop is free, with lunch included. Please make sure to pre-register, though with a  call to Ginger or Terry at 520-836-2758 or 800-293-9393, or email gingerf@pgcsc.org.

Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens is sponsoring this for people dealing with dementia care. Heather Mulder from Banner Alzheimer’s Institute will speak on the topic ‘Understanding Alzheimers’ and Dorothy Dunn from the College of Health and Human Services at NAU, will be speaking on communication strategies. Read more about the

Pinal-Gila Council for Senior Citizens at  pgcsc.org

Caregiver Health Consequences

A post at uspharmacist.com reports that caring for a loved-one with Alzheimer’s disease often leads to primary caregivers neglecting their own needs to focus on their relative, or patient. Nearly all caregivers experience some sort of impact on their health. Almost one-half of all caregivers are older than 50 years, making them more vulnerable to a decline in their own health, and 74 percent are concerned about their own health. Effects on AD caregivers include sleep deprivation (77 percent), less exercise (69 percent), gaining or losing weight (66 percent), strains or aches (63 percent), high stress/anxiety (60 percent), poor eating habits (56 percent), depression (40 percent), and putting off their own medical care (20 percent).
Alzheimer’s disease causes nerve cells in the brain to gradually die, affecting a person’s memory and thinking ability.

More than 5.2 million Americans aged 65 years and older have AD. According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2015, nearly 16 million family members and friends provided 18 billion hours of unpaid care to persons with AD, at an estimated cost of $221 billion.

Caregiver Characteristics

A primary caregiver may be a spouse, parent, child, grandchild, or friend. In the United States, 65 percent of caregivers to adults are female, 6 percent are spouses, 15 percent have been caregiving for 10 years or more, 23 percent live with the care recipient, and 53 percent are the primary caregiver.

Many caregivers who work and provide care experience conflicting demands from these responsibilities. In 2000, of 22 million family caregivers (of whom 15 million were caregivers for AD), baby boomers made up 40 percent, and 19 percent were providing care for both a parent and a child.

The average caregiver is a 46-year-old woman who works outside the home while spending 18 hours each week caring for her mother, according to a study.