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Why Caregivers and Families Need the New Alzheimer's Center
| Current Adult Day Health Facility | New Alzheimer's Center |
| Family
caregivers are on a waiting list for their loved one to attend the
program |
Will more than double capacity
to provide respite care so families can work or do normal activities |
| Physical
limitations of the facility (such as the fact that clients cannot
roam safely) can impede staff’s efforts to help with challenging
behaviors (such as wandering) that caregivers are coping with at
home |
A facility specially designed
for people with dementia will help reduce challenging behaviors
even when clients are not at the center, making it easier for families
to care for them at home |
| The resource
library is located in the staff office of three ADHS employees and
is extremely limited in space, lacking room to add new materials |
Resource library will be
in a separate area, with room to accommodate a growing lending library
and space for people to use resources on-site |
| The sole
place for support groups to meet is in the Adult Day Health Services
facility, so caregivers can only meet after the adult day care program
has ended for the day |
Will have a special education
room for families and caregivers, so support groups and educational
events may occur whenever needed (i.e., while the loved one with
dementia attends adult day care) |
Caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease bear a profound burden. If you’ve known someone who is caring for a loved one with dementia, you’ve seen the toll it takes.
Family caregivers of people with dementia face more depression, isolation, health problems and family conflict than those caring for people with other illnesses. Caregivers face substantial loss of work time, personal time and income. It is also common for caregivers to see a decline in their own health, partly due to the stress of providing full-time care to a loved one in a steady state of decline.
It is essential to help family caregivers cope with the complexity and emotional burden of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s. Support groups, educational events and materials, and one-on-one counseling can help reduce social isolation and caregiver burnout.
For families in Humboldt County caring for someone with dementia, these support services can make all the difference. These services will be expanded and enhanced with the creation of the New Alzheimer’s Center.
