Honor Dementia Caregivers This Holiday Season

Because over 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, there are approximately 10 million caregivers attending to them. This is a hard job that they did not sign up for but was thrust upon them. Honor them this holiday season for all the difficult work they do.

The first reason to honor a caregiver is for the financial burden they incur when caring for a person with dementia. First the family has consulted an Elder law attorney to get all the finances in order. Most likely the caregiver had to cut back on the hours of paid employment. Despite using all the resources out there, all expenses for the care of a dementia person will not be covered. That means go without, or pay for necessary items out of pocket.

The second reason to pay tribute to ones caring for someone with dementia is their resourcefulness. Caregivers are good at coming up with unique strategies for managing and paying for the supervision of their loved one. They may get help from attending a support group in person or online. However, they are the ones ultimately responsible for a workable plan of care.

Third is recognizing that many perform physically demanding aspects of a dementia persons' care. Many do the bathing, feeding and toileting of their family member with dementia. These tasks are difficult because many with dementia are confused and combative.

Next, these caregivers should be honored for all the time they devote to all aspects of a dementia persons' life. As just mentioned, most caregivers are responsible for the physical aspects of care. But they also must engage their loved ones in meaningful activities throughout the day and sometimes well into the night. Fortunately many take advantage of adult day care to ease the burden. Unfortunately some dementia folks refuse to participate in or have behaviors that preclude them from attending these worthwhile programs.

The fifth reason for honoring those caring for a dementia person is all the time they devote to this job. The caregiver is most likely responsible for everything from cleaning to cooking to shopping to yard work. The list seems endless. These tasks are even more difficult because while the caregiver is doing them, he must also keep the dementia person safe.

According to a report published by the national Alzheimer's Association, ten million caregivers provided 83 billion dollars worth of care in 2005. So this holiday season while you are enjoying time with family and friends, think about those 10 million dementia caregivers and all the under appreciated hard work they do, everyday, seven days a week, sometimes 24 hours a day. If you know someone with this challenging task, call them, thank them and offer a helping hand.

Susan Berg is author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities... for the Memory Challenged, Loved Ones, and Professionals.

Author, Susan Berg has been a healthcare professional and educator for over 20 years. She is the, activity director, of many years, at Hunt Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Danvers. While there, she has gained much dementia care and activity experience and knowledge. She has had special training in dementia care and dementia activities through the Alzheimer's Association and other educational forums. Berg is the author of Adorable Photographs of Our Baby-Meaningful, Mind-Stimulating Activities and More for the Memory Challenged, Their Loved Ones, and Involved Professionals, a book for those with dementia and an excellent resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals. You may visit her website at http://www.alzheimersideas.com or her blog at http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com

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