Sunday, January 12, 2014

Alzheimer's Caregiver Risks, Timeline Facts




R4Y: Alzheimer's Caregivers Risk Predictable Fatigue Declining


Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’sDespite the best possible intentions and information, Remembering 4 You warns fatigue timelines remain a critical and important factor in any type of long-term family care giving situation. The caregiver fatigue timeline is published on pages 13-15 of HOW IN THE WORLD…AND NOW WHAT DO I DO? A Primer for Alzheimer’s: 12 Major Points for Coping Better available at http://AlzheimersPrimer.com. R4Y recently published the first in a series of Alzheimer’s primers because most caregivers have little time to sit down with a large book or go through hundreds of web pages to find the proper information. 

Statistics show that about 30% of caregivers will die before the person they are providing care to and about 80% of caregivers will either contemplate suicide or attempt suicide due to exhaustion or feelings of extreme isolation. We know that every 68 seconds a person is being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and we have over 5 million individuals living with Alzheimer’s in the United States alone. For every person who is living with Alzheimer’s, you can estimate 3 caregivers providing care.

As reported in a number of studies, fatigue is a complex symptom in family care giving. Once fatigue ensues, the care giving is compromised and the health of each person is affected. As reported by Dr. SunWoo Kang in his doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin (2012) on Caregiving, Marital Quality, and Physical Health: A U.S. National Study, family care giving was linked to higher levels of HPA/SNS dysfunction and metabolic dysfunction. He noted higher levels of reported chronic conditions among male family caregivers with providing care to parents having problematic effects on global health, physical symptoms, and chronic conditions among both men and women caregivers.

Reducing Risk through Better Health


In the knowledge of clear and definite caregiver fatigue timeline for someone providing care to a loved one who is living with Alzheimer’s, R4Y is encouraging better care and support to minimize the healthcare risks associated with care giving. The strategy includes knowledge of the predictable caregiver fatigue timeline and a support plan that works for you to reduce the likelihood of experiencing a serious illness in later years or after the care giving period is over.

Concerning Alzheimer's caregiving fatigue timeline, the idea of better caregiver health has included maintaining healthy levels of exercise, keeping regular medical checkups, eating more plant-based diet by avoiding too much sugar and fatty foods, the use of vitamin supplements, social interactions, accepting help from others when offered, and a solid daily routine.

Based on the data, R4Y offers two possible reasons a focus on better self care might be helping:


1. Continuing Education

Knowing is liberating. Know the predictable stages of the caregiver fatigue timeline. Adopt steps that will help you cope better and avoid the Alzheimer’s maze by creating your own readiness program such as a well stocked pantry to avoid running to the story daily. More about how to start and completely stock your pantry at http://Remembering4You.Com which is completely free plan you can download.

Another example is how to save tons of time to keep up with housework, even when you feel tired, by signing up at http://flylady.com and requesting daily reminders that will help you to get and stay organized. Her methods will teach you how to spend as little as 15-20 minutes a day but stay ahead of the daily chores. No more stress over people dropping in and finding your house is in disarray.

Consider a free shopping service that will bring many articles you use daily, even food, right to your door now available at http://amazon.com as Alice.com is no longer in service. This small step can be a life saver and extremely helpful for any caregiver.


2.  Your Health

Although the health and needs of the person you provide care does matter and requires solid planning, you health is even more important. Often the caregiver’s health is compared to the story about putting the oxygen mask on you first in an airplane emergency versus the person next to you. So it is for your health. Make sure you find a way to exercise daily (treadmill, yoga, walking) and a proper diet with sleep. This may require that you get another caregiver to cover the night shift, if necessary, or find out other ways by visiting http://Remembering4You.com for some tips on reducing stress.


Similar Observations

Studies on caregiver fatigue timeline, such as Dr. SunWoo Kang’s doctoral research, are by no means unique in their findings. Several researchers published similar findings which clearly support the fatigue timeline and serious health problems for family caregivers. Several studies in Europe have been undertaken and confirm the same results.

Even though the number of diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is increasing at an alarming rate in the United States, the responsibilities of caregiving continue to be specialized and largely delivered by ill informed and untrained family caregivers. And among those who do eventually find themselves suddenly responsible for someone living with Alzheimer’s, they typically will suffer quietly and many feel the pain of isolation. It stands to reason that we should continue pursuing the avenues of better health and care for the family caregiver as ways to reduce the risk of depression and something even worse.