Being the end of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month, it's important for us to look at some of the ramifications of this disease on the people taking care of our dementia loved ones. In California alone there are 1.8 million households taking care of someone 50+, about 16% of the population. This percentage will increase in the next 10 to 20 years as the baby boomer generation ages.
The majority of people needing care from loss of memory and cognitive abilities, about 65%, rely exclusively on family and friends to take care of them. Too often just one person is doing most of the caregiving alone. It is virtually impossible for one caregiver to be responsible 24/7 for all of the needs of a dementia person and properly take care of themselves as well. Any caregiver must have a good support team around them to be able to provide the best care possible and help them get some respite time for themselves.
The Alzheimer's Association is one of the best organizations available to help caregivers build a support team. They offer many free educational events to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and the many services they offer to families. Most of know someone who is a caregiver. Take a few minutes and help your caregiver friend or family member contact the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org., if they haven't done so already, and get the support team they need for everyone involved.
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