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National family caregivers' month

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Contributed by: Eden Rosen on 11/10/2006

Once again, it's time to honor family caregivers and rightly so. Family caregivers are unsung heroes and heroines as they take care of their loved ones.

Family caregivers often suffer from stress and depression and sometimes don't take care of themselves.

A number of family caregivers often "work" for their loved ones for free. The family caregivers do what they do out of love often without thanks. Family caregivers save the State money because they sacrifice their time and their lives to keep their loved ones out of facilities.

Other family members, if the care recipient qualifies for Medi-Cal,"work" for their loved ones under the In-Home Supportive Service Program, which is under the Department of Public Social Services.

Sometimes, family members might have to place their loved ones in a facility. There is a myth that once a family member places a loved one in a home or facility, that caregiver does not feel stress. As I said, it's a myth. Family caregivers who place their loved ones feel stress, especially if the facility is not doing a good job.

As a former family caregiver to a parent with Alzheimer's disease, I know how difficult it is to care for someone with such a horrible disease.

If you know a family caregiver ask what you can do to help him or her. They might need help shopping. They might need you to stay with their loved one so they can go somewhere for a few hours. Family caregivers need respite (a break) from their duties and responsibilities.They definitely need a sympathetic ear--someone to listen. They do not need someone who will tell them to place their loved one and get a life. Sometimes, family caregivers lose friends because their friends don't want to listen anymore or be around someone who is stressed and depressed.

So, to honor family caregivers especially those you know, what will you do to make their lives a little less stressful?

Learn the warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.Warning signsinclude, memory loss, difficulty in performing familiar tasks, disorientation to time and place, poor or decreased judgement, proglems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, changes in mood or behavior, changed in personality, and loss of initiative.

At this point, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. The toll it takes on family members is a horrendous one.

Do all that you can to help someone with Alzheimer's disease and/or a family caregiver.

Eden Rosen is an author, speaker, and advocate. She is a former family caregiver to a parent with Alzheimer's disease. She is also the author of three books pertaining to the trials and tribulations of being a family caregiver to someone with a cognitive impairment.

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