Care Connection focuses on dementia caregiving during National Family Caregivers Month

Nov. 14--Care Connection for Aging Services is focusing on dementia caregivers' training during National Family Caregivers Month in November.

The agency's Family Caregiver Program seeks participants for a caregiver education program that provides practical advice and support for caregivers of people with dementia.

Topics include: daily care, everyday activities, anxiety, injury prevention, safety, anger issues, meals, bladder and bowel problems, self-care, communication, sleep, bathing, wandering, transferring, brain health, driving and balancing work with caregiving.

Participants will learn at their own pace with either printed materials or online.

Pre- and post-surveys will measure the program's success.

The information is targeted to caregivers of adults who are newly diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's or other dementia, as well as struggling caregivers who need a boost.

"The program is aimed at making the life of the caregiver a little bit easier," Marilyn Gunter, director of Care Management for Care Connection, said. "We want to reduce physical and emotional stress that comes with caregiving."

For the caregivers' training, a Care Connection Care Manager will evaluate the needs of the person with dementia and the caregiver; provide information about the disease; consider potential safety risks and offer appropriate safety assistive devices; and work with the caregiver to develop a care plan so that the person with dementia may stay at home as long as possible.

Care Connection is partnering with the Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging to provide this service as part of a federal grant through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

If you want to participate, call the care manager at your nearest senior center or call Gunter at 1-800-748-7826.

During National Family Caregivers Month this November, Care Connection is joining the Caregiver Action Network (the National Family Caregivers Association) to encourage all caregivers to "Be Care Curious," the theme of this year's FCG Month.

Here are some areas from Care Connection where family caregivers could "be care curious:"

* Your Loved One's Goals: Talk about what their goals are for treatment and their care in general. It can be hard to talk about goals when facing a disease. But these talks help make sure your loved ones are getting the care they want.

* Treatment options: Ask your doctor if there are other options for treatments if a loved one is not responding well.

* Research: Question and understand the information you get from the internet. Is the article you just read from a reliable source? Ask questions of doctors and others to learn as much as you can about your loved one's condition.

* The Care Plan: If your loved one is in the hospital, be sure to ask what happens next. Will your loved one need home care after being discharged? Are there new medications or procedures you will need to manage at home?

* Coverage: Don't be shy about asking questions about insurance coverage.

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