Licensed Professional Consultant (LPC) Ruth Drew is responsible for the Alzheimer's Association's 24-hour hotline, which provides support for those facing the challenges of dementia and Alzheimer's, including families and caregivers. The fact that the hotline receives more than 300,000 calls each year points to the heartbreaking problems associated with diagnosing dementia, not just for individuals but for the person's entire support system.
“We get a variety of questions, from someone worried about the warning signs of a cognitive decline or treatment for a new diagnosis, to an adult son whose mother didn't recognize him for the first time, or a woman who wonders how to get her husband to swim with Alzheimer's. Whatever the reason for the call, we meet callers where they are and strive to provide the information, resources, and emotional support they need, ”said Drew, director of information and support services for the nonprofit Based in Chicago.
Professional counselors are good for helping not only people with dementia and Alzheimer's, but also people in their care networks, says Drew. Regardless of whether it is advice for individuals, couples or even children, the far-reaching effects of dementia mean that doctors of all specialties hear clients talk about the stress factors and overwhelming emotions that can accompany the diagnosis.
“People who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and other dementias go through profound changes in life – they deal with the reality of an incurable disease that steals their skills and memories. Consulting provides a place to process the losses, develop ways to deal with them and find meaning in your current situation, ”says Drew. "Similarly, family members face emotional, physical, and financial challenges when caring for someone with Alzheimer's. It helps to have a safe place to process feelings, receive support, deal with current realities, and for the future to plan. "
Growing need
"Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It just happens that most dementia patients are older," says Jenny Heuer, LPC and certified dementia practitioner in Georgia who specializes in gerontology. "There is this stigma that just because you get older, you get dementia. "
The Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) defines dementia as "an umbrella term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving skills and other thinking skills that affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities execute ".
Although many people associate dementia with Alzheimer's, there are numerous forms of dementia, and not all are progressive. Depending on the type, dementia can be reversible or irreversible, explains Heuer, the primary therapist in the geriatric ward of the Chatuge Regional Hospital in Hiawassee, Georgia. The most common is Alzheimer's, an irreversible, progressive form of dementia, followed by vascular dementia, which can occur after a stroke. Dementia can also coexist with Down syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other diagnoses. Research has also linked moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries with a higher risk of dementia or Alzheimer's years later.
Heuer, a member of the American Counseling Association, remembers a client who she advised and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's before the age of 62. She lived with a husband who was violent and physically abusive towards her, and with the client's caregivers, wondering if she had suffered a brain injury that contributed to her early onset of Alzheimer's.
Heuer notes that other conditions can lead to a presumption or misdiagnosis of dementia. For example, if not treated, a urinary tract infection (UTI) can be advanced enough to cause confusion to a client. Once the urinary tract infection has been diagnosed and treated, the confusion can resolve. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption, depression, drug side effects, thyroid problems, and vitamin deficiency can lead to memory loss and confusion, which the Alzheimer Association might mistake for dementia.
"There are so many [other] things to exclude," says Heuer. "Doctors try to rule out any other health problem before diagnosing dementia."
The complexity of dementia only makes it more necessary for consultants to carry out a thorough admission assessment and to get to know clients holistically, says Heuer. Consultants should ask clients about anything that may or may have affected their brain or memory, including taking medication, stress levels, past physical trauma or brain injury, depression, sleep patterns, exercise, and other factors.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia and nearly 10 million new cases occur every year. Alzheimer's dementia can account for between 60% and 70% of this total, according to the WHO.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 14% of people ages 71 and older in the United States have some form of dementia. According to a recently published report by the nonprofit organization, an estimated 5.7 million Americans of all ages lived with Alzheimer's disease-related dementia in 2018, the vast majority (5.5 million) of whom were 65 and older. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are women, according to the association.
These numbers are likely to increase only as the US population ages and the baby boom generation retires and lives, Heuer notes.
The US Census Bureau assumes that in 2034 the number of over 65-year-old Americans for the first time in history will overshadow the number of young people under the age of 18. A quarter of Americans will be 65 or older and the number of people over 85 will have tripled.
"Age problems hit counselors across the board," says Heuer, "because we are all getting older and many are taking care of aging parents. … I invite other consultants to work with me in this population. [Alzheimer’s] is the sixth leading cause of death. That sounds very pathological, but it will only go higher. More and more people are being diagnosed. With the aging baby boom population, someone [who is] will be affected by this disease on every corner. "
Care for the nursing staff
Caring for a loved one who is affected by memory loss and other aspects of dementia has an obvious emotional component, but it is also the burden of managing the person's practical tasks, such as: B. Financial planning and adherence to medical appointments. The stress can affect the person's entire network, says Phillip Rumrill, a certified rehabilitation counselor in Ohio who specializes in clients with disabilities, including dementia.
“Dementia affects the entire family system and possibly across generations. The person [with dementia] needs help, yes, but [so do] their spouse, their children and the entire family system. This is critical [for counselors to be aware of] when it comes to dementia, ”said Rumrill, a member of the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, a division of ACA. "There is an enormous amount of burnout that goes with a caregiver for dementia."
Decreasing a loved one's memory and abilities can make caregivers feel sad, frustrated, exhausted, overwhelmed, hurt, anxious, and even angry, says Matt Gildehaus, an LPC, Life Delta Counseling heard a private practice in Washington, Missouri.
“Caregivers and relatives are often the hidden victims of dementia. They can be overwhelmed if the role becomes extensive, ”says Gildehaus, who advises adults facing a number of challenges, including age-related problems and dementia. "Caring for someone
can easily become an identity that is confirmed and strengthened until it is almost at the expense of self-care. When the caregiver overtakes life for someone with dementia, the caregiver's emotional and physical health often decreases. "
Each of the consultants interviewed for this article argued that physicians should primarily emphasize the importance of self-care for clients who are caring for people with dementia. Counseling clinicians can ask these clients what they do for self-care, help them set up a self-care plan when needed, and connect them with local resources such as self-help groups and geriatric care organizations.
According to Rumrill, professor and coordinator of the rehabilitation counseling program at Kent State University in Ohio, and founding director of the Center for Human Resources, it is also important to encourage customers to ask others for help when they are overwhelmed by disability studies. When clients mention that they have a loved one with dementia, counselors should listen carefully to ensure that these clients take care of themselves and process their feelings related to the experience.
Connecting customers with support groups and other resources can be critical because many families feel lost and isolated after their loved ones have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's, Drew said. "This isolation can increase as the trip increases as the need for care increases, especially when they don't know who to contact for help," she says.
Families may also experience feelings associated with the grief process as they witness the progressive loss of the person they knew. Caregivers may even have harsh feelings for their loved ones, especially when they try to deal with the frustrating behavioral challenges that Alzheimer's and dementia can bring.
"The disease can be very deceptive because one day the person can be very clear and another day they will be confused. Carers can feel [the person is] doing things on purpose just to press their buttons," says Heuer, "I often ask whether the person was aggressive or gave names before being diagnosed. Most of the time the answer is no. Then I explain that it is the disease, not the individual, that causes the behavior.
Gildehaus, a member of ACA, has noticed similar frustrations among customers in its number of cases. "I often help caregivers by giving them a safe place to share things they can't tell their family and friends," he says. "There are three tools for caregivers that I focus on: therapeutic silence, sensitive listening and normalizing what they often refer to as" terrible thoughts ". These can be ideas like" They make me so angry " # 39 ;, & # 39; I am afraid to go to the nursing home for a few days "or even" Sometimes I secretly hope that they will not be living for so long. "
Rumrill notes that clients caring for a relative with dementia may need the help of a counselor to process how the disease has disrupted family roles. He experienced this personally when he looked after his grandmother, who suffered from dementia for years before she died of stomach and liver cancer in 2009. Rumrill, who had authority over his grandmother's financial affairs, had to get used to looking after someone who had looked after him throughout his life. It felt like a conflict of roles to have to make decisions on behalf of his grandmother while he continues to try to respect her wishes, he recalls.
"The role changes: they used to take care of you, and now you take care of them," says Rumrill. “There is a strange juxtaposition when a child tells a parent what to do. It can be difficult to accept [for the older adult] if it comes from the younger generation. The roles changed and nobody got the memo. "
Counseling for couples and families can also serve as a safe place to talk about the stressors and disagreements associated with caregiving, Rumrill, and Heuer. Consultants can act as neutral moderators to facilitate conversations on difficult topics that clients may be afraid of or avoid outside of meetings. This can include logistical or financial problems, such as splitting care tasks or assigning powers of attorney, and more difficult discussions, such as moving a relative to a care facility.
Counselors working with couples should be aware of the intense stress that caring for people with dementia can cause for relationships, Rumrill adds. Domestic life can be turned upside down if a member of a couple's time and attention is devoted to care. This applies in particular if the family member moves into the apartment with dementia. Previously flowing tasks such as unloading the dishwasher or taking the children to sporting activities can become controversial issues. Challenges that the couple has successfully mastered before – from budget to parenting problems – can become more pronounced and complicated, as nursing puts additional strain on the couple's time, emotions, and finances, Rumrill says.
It's an unfortunate reality, but counselors who work with clients with dementia or their families also need to watch out for signs of abuse of the elderly, including financial abuse, says Rumrill. Dementia sufferers and their caregivers are also at higher risk for problems such as depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, and substance use and abuse (which can be used as a coping mechanism).
Hear and Validate
Dementia patients can have different needs addressed in counseling sessions – needs that change as dementia progresses.
In the early stages of dementia, counselors can help clients process their feelings and fears about the diagnosis and work towards acceptance and adaptation to the upcoming changes. In the mid to late phase, customers may benefit more from advisor confirmation and validation, and occasional routing and reassurance techniques.
Heuer remembers a client whose husband was recently taken to a memory center for Alzheimer's. The client, who Heuer calls "Anne" in this example, dealt with a pre-existing depression, which was the first focus of the consultations. Heuer and Anne also discussed Anne's relationships with family members and the various changes she was facing, including the move due to her husband's placement in the memorial facility.
According to Heuer, Anne was very afraid of losing her own memory and, over time, her memory actually began to deteriorate. She would acknowledge the decline in counseling when she and Heuer discussed the impact on Anne's life. Later, as Anne's dementia progressed, Heuer shifted her work to focus more on promoting Anne's sense of security and connectedness. “The interesting thing about working with Anne is that she never mentioned the word dementia. I found out about the diagnosis from the family and the caregivers, ”recalls Heuer.
"With diminishing memory, I would reflect their feelings [in counseling]", says Heuer. “Then there were sessions in which Anne spent most of the time talking about how she had traveled on a train and had just got off the train. She often told me the story as if it was the first time that she told me. “One of the best suggestions she has received for working with clients with dementia is to give them the same level of patience and attention whether they are telling her a story or having a memory for the first or tenth time her share.
"Anne also had hallucinations [in the latter stages of dementia]," says Heuer. “She had moments of clarity when she knew it was a hallucination and questioned her own mental health. I had no magical healing or answer. I would try to imagine how I would feel if this happened to me and [then] explored empathy and the core basis of person-centered therapy. "
People with dementia in particular need a counselor who is simply "present and listening," adds John Michalka, an LPC with a one-to-one practice in Chesterfield, Missouri. He specializes in caring for clients with mood disorders related to chronic illnesses, including dementia.
"Patients living with dementia often tell me that they only need their relatives to stop nagging them and making them feel that the things they are doing are intentional," Michalka says , an ACA member with personal experience caring for a relative with dementia. "The patient does not forget on purpose. The patient has enough to do without feeling burdensome. I am always amazed at how simple and unselfish the patient's request is when it comes to what he needs: just simple love , Understanding and patience. "
The following findings can be helpful for counselors who treat clients with dementia. Some of the guidelines may also be relevant to share with clients who are family members of a person with dementia or their caregivers.
>> Correcting instead of agreeing: Patients in the memory center where Heuer works sometimes come to her and say: “It's so nice to be see you again! “Even though they have never met her before. Over time, she has learned to read and think on her feet to respond appropriately to comments that are not based on reality.
For caregivers, the decision to correct a person with dementia or follow what the person says can become a daily or even momentary struggle. Heuer says that their decision to validate or correct them often depends on how likely the person is to get excited or aggressive. But empathy also plays a role. "I'm trying to put myself in their position. How would I feel if I saw a friend I haven't seen in a while? It really comes down to hitting them in their emotions. "
Some clinicians may call the practice of validating or escorting a client with dementia "therapeutic lying," says Heuer, but "I call it" shaping the information "and doing what it takes to feel calm and safe. … We have to adapt to them because they cannot adapt to us. It is as if they had a different inner world and we have to meet them in their world. "
Michalka says he also finds validation therapy helpful in relieving client anxiety. For clients who care for dementia, he often emphasizes that what is going on in the head of the person with dementia is their reality.
He remembers a client who panicked because he saw someone in his room. "There was no one in the room, but the experience or perception of a stranger's patient in his room was real," says Michalka. “A natural response for most nurses would be to correct the patient. In this way, we question the patient's perception of reality. Typically, this will only escalate the patient's fear, and thus the fear of the relative or caregiver.
"Imagine you saw a stranger in your room and if you [try] told anyone about it they would say:" No, there [isn’t]. “Wouldn't you be more and more excited if you try to convince them [and] they continue to challenge your reality? Instead, we should check their experience by asking if this stranger is still in the room. Then you would empathize with the patient by validating how scary that must have been, but now the stranger is gone and they are safe. Thereafter, the patient's attention should be directed to a more pleasant thought or situation. "
>> Looking at the Whole Person: Working with Dementia Customers “brings you out of your comfort because you need to be very creative and interact with [them]. It's not the kind of advice you learn in a textbook, ”says Heuer. "Your ability to advise and work with these people goes far beyond the knowledge you acquire through counseling in your Master's [program]."
Heuer encourages clinicians to learn more about who clients were before they were diagnosed with dementia – what their careers were like, what their hobbies were, their likes and dislikes. Consultants can ask customers directly for this personal information or inquire with their family members. Learning this personal data can help to better inform the consultants' interventions and build closer relationships with clients, Heuer said. "It may be therapeutic for her to get involved in what made her happy as a person," she adds.
For example, a customer who loves baseball can be comforted and more responsive when watching a ball game televised or flipping through an album of baseball cards with a consultant. A customer who was a teacher or banker might find comfort in writing a ledger. Even late-stage dementia clients can respond when their favorite music is played, Heuer notes.
She remembers a customer who had previously worked in the business and sometimes thought that his caregiver was his secretary. In this case, the caregiver made notes by writing on paper. "It doesn't have to make sense, but it may make sense to them," says Heuer, whose doctoral thesis dealt with the experiences of people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
>> Forward: When working with clients in the middle to final stage of dementia, techniques that require a change of focus are invaluable. A diversion can prevent these customers from becoming upset or escalating into aggressions, says Heuer. For caregivers, this technique may involve engaging the person in a job they previously enjoyed, or simply asking them for help with a task, such as: B. fold laundry or set the table.
"Redirection really comes into play when a person shows behaviors like excitement, fear, anger or paranoia," explains Heuer. "Usually there is something in their environment that triggers them. An example that we often observe and hear is that one person [who] wants to go home. Basically, they want to feel safe and are looking for something familiar. Redirection is a technique that refocuses the individual's attention in order to reassure them therapeutically and to make them feel safe. "
Heuer mentions a woman who wanders around in the care facility where Heuer works and feels a strong urge to leave. The woman was excited and escalated to the point where the staff would treat her with medication. Heuer came in and asked the woman if she wanted to go for a walk. The woman agreed and soon calmed down as she and Heuer walked together and chatted.
Behavior in dementia often manifests itself in the person's concern for their own safety or the safety of relatives, observes Heuer.
“We all have a need to make sense. Just because someone has dementia is no less human. They have similar needs, but a different way of communicating them. Usually there is a need behind every behavior they show, ”says Heuer.
>> Dealing with Grief: People with dementia and their relatives often experience a range of emotions associated with grief, from denial to the point of departure to grief avoiding sadness. Rumrill says it can be helpful for counselors to use grief and loss techniques with these clients.
When you watch a loved one with diminishing dementia and seemingly transform yourself into another person, it feels like you are experiencing the death or loss of that person, says Rumrill. His grandmother even changed her vocabulary and manner of speaking. She started using swear words and other words that Rumrill didn't know they knew at all. When she got angry, Rumrill said she would "take revenge" on people, which she had never done before she was diagnosed with dementia.
"There is an enormous sense of loss that can go with it. The person you knew and loved is not there [any longer]" he says. "I mourned the loss of the person [his grandmother] and also grieved for their loss of independence. "
Even clients with dementia who are widows or widowers can experience feelings of loss again, even if they have previously processed the death of their partner. Dementia can increase the person's feelings of sadness and sadness again, or even ignite the anger towards a deceased partner if they leave their dementia journey alone, Rumrill says.
Relatives and caregivers can experience repeated grief cycles if their relatives have dementia or Alzheimer's, Michalka adds. “Every time the family member suffering from dementia moves on to the next stage, the client [a caregiver or family member] repeats the grieving process to a certain extent. You are now suffering another loss. It is as if they have lost their loved ones again, ”says Michalka. “For many customers, it is extremely difficult that mom or dad don't know who they are or simply don't remember their names. As the dementia progresses, the client often loses their loved ones. At least the client loses the person who was his or her loved one and then again after the death of the relative. "
>> Concentration on Strengths: Dementia patients are likely to be saddened by the expected or actual loss of their skills. A consultant can help these clients switch perspectives to focus on what the person can still do, says Heuer. When talking about what the client can still do and what he enjoys, she often uses the words strengths and challenges, not weaknesses.
Beispielsweise kann ein Kunde mit Demenz möglicherweise keinen Garten mehr im Freien unterhalten, aber Gartenbedarf und Pflanzgefäße können zur Person im Inneren gebracht werden, damit sie ihre Hände immer noch im Boden halten können. "Aktivitäten können sich im Verlauf der Krankheit ändern", bemerkt Heuer.
>> Verwenden von "Erzähl mir von" -Aufforderungen: Gildehaus sagt, dass narrative Therapie bei Klienten mit Demenz eine hilfreiche Technik sein kann. Diese Kunden reagieren oft gut auf Aufforderungen zum Geschichtenerzählen, auch wenn ihre Erinnerungen verblassen. Patienten mit Demenz können therapeutisch behandelt werden, wenn sie Erinnerungen teilen und sich gehört und verstanden fühlen, erklärt er.
In ähnlicher Weise verwendet Heuer die Reminiszenztherapie bei Patienten mit Gedächtnisverlust und bittet Personen, über ihre Karrieren, Familien und andere Lieblingserinnerungen zu sprechen. Es ist jedoch nicht hilfreich, Fragen zu formulieren, indem man die Kunden fragt, ob sie sich an etwas erinnern, betont sie. Stattdessen können Berater sanftere „Erzähl mir von“ -Aufforderungen verwenden, um Kunden zur Öffnung anzuregen. Anstatt zum Beispiel zu fragen: "Erinnerst du dich an deine Eltern?", Würde ein Berater sagen: "Erzähl mir von deinen Eltern", erklärt Heuer.
Rumrill merkt an, dass Gruppenarbeit für Pflegekräfte oder Familienmitglieder von Menschen mit Demenz sehr hilfreich sein kann, insbesondere um Burnout zu verhindern oder zu lindern. Motivationsinterviews, kognitive Verhaltenstechniken und rationale emotionale Techniken können den Klienten auch dabei helfen, die Veränderungen und Belastungen zu verarbeiten, die mit der Demenz eines geliebten Menschen einhergehen. Rumrill ruft die Berater jedoch dringend dazu auf, die Techniken anzuwenden, die sie für den Klienten als am hilfreichsten und am besten geeignet erachten.
Demenz ist „nicht stressiger als jedes andere Lebensthema, das Menschen zur Beratung bringt; es ist einfach anders “, sagt Rumrill. „Es hat einzigartige Funktionen, die verstanden werden müssen, um zu helfen. Stelle alle Bewältigungsreserven zusammen, um dem Klienten zu helfen. “
>> Empathisches Zuhören: Gildehaus merkt an, dass die Kernkompetenzen von professionellen Beratern in Bezug auf Zuhören, empathisches Nachdenken und Normalisieren für Kunden von großem Nutzen sein können mit Demenz.
„Nach meiner Erfahrung brauchen Klienten mit Demenz jemanden, der ihnen zuhört, um sie zu verstehen, ohne sie zu konfrontieren, mit ihnen zu streiten oder sie zu reparieren“, sagt Gildehaus. „Die Normalisierung von Frustrationen und Ängsten im Zusammenhang mit Gedächtnisproblemen und dem Altern trägt auch dazu bei, dass sich Kunden weniger mangelhaft fühlen.“
Wenn er mit Kunden mit Demenz arbeitet, ist es laut Gildehaus sein vorrangiges Ziel, ein wertungsfreies Umfeld zu schaffen, in dem diese Personen ihre Frustrationen und Ängste teilen können. "Meine Bemühungen konzentrieren sich auf eine Interaktion, bei der sie sich gehört und verstanden fühlen, ohne sich befragt zu fühlen oder jemanden zu haben, der versucht, sie von ihren Ideen abzubringen", sagt er.
Dies kam im vergangenen Sommer ins Spiel, als Gildehaus einem harten Gespräch mit einer Kundin gegenüberstand, die ihr Fahrrecht wegen kognitiven Rückgangs aufgeben musste. "Das war sehr schwer für sie", erinnert er sich. "Sie argumentierte, dass sie nicht weit gefahren sei, dass sie keine Unfälle gehabt habe und dass es ihr egal sei, ob sie bei einem Unfall gestorben sei. She became very emotional — tearful and angry. I listened empathically, validated her truths, and reflected her logic and feelings. Then, I asked if she wanted her lasting legacy to be causing someone else’s injury or death. She agreed this was not what she wanted. We then explored options and resources that would allow her to maintain her freedom and active schedule without driving. We talked about local taxi services, friends who were going to the same activities [and could give her a ride]and the obvious solution became allowing her home health care provider to drive her most of the time.”
Still human
Individuals with a dementia diagnosis often feel as if they’ve been labeled as damaged goods, “deemed incompetent and unable to do anything for themselves,” Heuer says. The empathy and support that professional counselors are capable of offering these clients can go a long way toward changing that mindset, she asserts.
People with dementia “are still capable, still human, and they have emotions,” Heuer emphasizes. “There is an immediate stigma attached to someone [with a dementia diagnosis] that they aren’t able to do anything for themselves, and that’s often a source of frustration. There is an assumption that they’re helpless. But they will say, ‘I need help.” … They will let you know. What they need from counselors — and everyone else — is the recognition that they are still a person and still human.”
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Counselors as caregivers
Despite a career as a helping professional, Phillip Rumrill found himself feeling “inadequate” when it came to caring for his grandmother as her dementia progressed. He admits that he learned how to manage “through trial and error.”
The professional objectivity that allows practitioners to help others process issues in counseling simply isn’t there when it comes to caring for their own loved ones, says Rumrill, a certified rehabilitation counselor and a professor and coordinator of the rehabilitation counseling program at Kent State University.
“All of this stuff that you know about professionally goes out the window when you experience it personally,” Rumrill says. “You may have helped a client who is dealing with this, but it’s not the same when you’re going through it yourself. … You may think that because you have expertise in helping others you might know procedurally what to do, but it’s just different when it’s affecting you on a core level. You can arm yourself with information, but it’s going to be very different to be going through it on your own.”
Although it may not come easily, counselors who have loved ones with dementia should heed the same guidance they would give to clients in the same situation, including keeping up with their self-care and asking for help when needed.
After his grandmother passed away in 2009, Rumrill collaborated with two colleagues, Kimberly Wickert and Danielle Dresden, who also had cared for loved ones with dementia, to write the book The Sandwich Generation’s Guide to Elder Care. Their hope was that their insights might help other practitioners who were facing similar challenges. “You can’t be [your] family’s counselor,” Rumrill says. “Sometimes you have to shut off your professional side and deal with the humanity of your own experience.”
John Michalka, a licensed professional counselor and private practitioner, says he and his wife experienced a range of issues — from stress to anxiety to grief — while caring for his mother-in-law. Michalka’s mother-in-law, who had vascular dementia, moved in with Michalka and his wife in 2013 when she was no longer able to care for herself.
“I took a hiatus from work, and for the last two years of her life, I cared for her until she passed [in January 2015],” he says. “I watched my wife, as a daughter, struggle with pain and grieving during every step down of the disease, from [her mother] forgetting our names to [us] becoming absolute strangers. For me, I was the caregiver and did my best to suppress the emotion. To say the least, caring for anyone living with dementia can be extremely difficult. At least it was for me.”
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The Alzheimer’s Association has a wealth of information on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, including nuances of the diagnoses and resources for living with or caring for a person who has been diagnosed. Call the association’s 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900 or visit alz.org (click the “Help & Support” tab for links to online and local support groups).
Also, the U.S. Administration on Aging offers an eldercare services search tool at eldercare.acl.gov. Resources are also available from the Dementia Action Alliance (daanow.org) and the Family Caregiver Alliance (caregiver.org).
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Contact the counselors interviewed for this article:
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Read more
Check out an extended Q+A with licensed professional counselor Ruth Drew, the Alzheimer’s
Association’s director of information and support services, at CT Online: ct.counseling.org/2019/12/qa-helping-clients-affected-by-dementia/
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Additional resources
Take advantage of the following select resources offered by the American Counseling Association:
ACA Divisions
The Association for Adult Development and Aging (aadaweb.org)
Counseling Today (ct.counseling.org)
Books (counseling.org/publications/bookstore)
Counseling Older People: Opportunities and Challenges by Charlene M. Kampfe
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Bethany Bray is a senior writer and social media coordinator for Counseling Today. Contact her at [email protected].
Letters to the editor: [email protected]
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Opinions expressed and statements made in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to represent the opinions of the editors or policies of the American Counseling Association.