Jude Gann
I cannot even envision the magnitude of the number of families that are trying to cope with This little manual has been a work-in-progress. It began as my personal resource list and information file. As it grew, I realized that many other people were in the same circumstance as I was. So, I began to collect and organize my information. This is the result, I hope this will be helpful to you in your journey.someone with Alzheimer’s disease, or with some other form of dementia that interferes with daily living. According to statistics issued by the Administration on Aging, the number of people with limitations to their activities of daily living (ADL) in 1990 was 18.8%. By the year 2040 this number will grow to 21.4%. Already there are too few Long Term Care facilities available. Already there is a huge shortage of nurses. There are too few professional home-care providers as well. The result is that people who opt to keep their loved ones at home instead of an institution find that help is scarce and expensive.The result is that there is an increasing need for training and support services for family or spouse caregivers. Those who have chosen, or been financially forced, to go this route are largely left to their own devices to discover how to be a good caregiver, and stay alive and healthy themselves.This manual is intended to be a step-by-step tool for at-home caregivers. There is nothing easy about dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. Statistically, caregivers often die before the patient. Don’t let yourself become a part of that statistic. Try to see the humor in the things that will happen, and share your laughter with your loved one. Learn to put the past in the past, take one thing at a time, prioritize your life to accommodate your present task, and remember Who it is that walks beside you. Find the help that you need, if not here, the bookstore, the internet, the counselors at Long Term Care facilities, friends, family, support groups.
