As a long time family caregiver and professional in this field, I can tell you that the myriad of emotions that caregivers face on a daily basis is complex and ever-changing.  That said, grief, guilt, and anxiety are certainly at the top of the list.   How can we, as professionals in this field, better understand family needs and partner alongside them on this difficult journey?

Caring for people with dementia requires specialized communication skills training.  Unfortunately, healthcare professionals and family caregivers often receive little training to enable them to meet the communicative needs of people with dementia.

Accounting for up to 20 percent of all forms of dementia, Lewy Body Dementia affects approximately 1.4 million Americans.  Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is the second most common cause of progressive dementia behind Alzheimer's disease.  LBD is also the most misdiagnosed form of dementia because symptoms are closely related to Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy Body (referred to as DLB).

It is a rare occasion when either speaking to or meeting with family caregivers that I do not have tucked away this invaluable list of signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout to share with them before I leave.    My advice to caregivers is to print this list out and place in a plastic sleeve and tape it to your bathroom mirror.  Every single day you should be aware of these signs - often that creep in slowly- and zap our ability to cope, quickly leading to caregiver burnout.

I just can't help but talk about gardening this time of year.  I admit it - I'm addicted.  It's not uncommon for me to get my garden gloves on early on a Saturday morning and still have them on when at sundown.  Once I start working in my garden, I just can't stop - especially this time of year.  So why am I going to talk about caregivers resentment and weeds in your garden?

Agitation and Aggression- Individuals with dementia frequently become restless, anxious, or upset you may see a resident pacing, moving furniture or objects, talking to themselves, yelling or swearing. These behaviors can escalate to aggressive behaviors like, threatening or causing harm to another by pushing or hitting, cornering another resident or staff, or even throwing objects or food. And unfortunately, aggression among people with dementia can happen suddenly and seemingly without warning.

It's no secret that families tend to shy away from the topics of money and death more often than not.  The fact, however, is that caregiving decisions often revolve around money, as care options will vary greatly depending on one's assets.  So money plays a very important role in the choices that are made and discussions that take place between family members.