AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

I mentioned my grandmother briefly in my last post and I would love to share more about her!  Her name was Mildred and this year she would have celebrated her 101st year around the sun.  She was was the pillar of our family and barrel of fun!  I can see her infectious smile now, dancing in the kitchen singing "If I'd known you were coming, I would've baked you a cake"!  Most of my memories of grandmama Mildred involve her journey living with dementia.  She taught our family so much in the 8+ years she lived with dementia.  Her sense of humor never ceased and was a critical piece in allowing grace to shine bright through it all.  And boy did we need grace - we didn't always get it right.  That's life.  

Topics: dementia care, dementia, caregiving, Caregiver Training, family caregivers, Compassion, Family Education, dementia training, dementia education, Dementia Awareness, communication skills, education and training

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, aging services, Family Caregiver, Training, Family, Caregiver, caregivers, Aging Service Provider, caregiving, family caregivers, parents, aging, families, REVEAL Aging, staff, workforce training, home health

Family caregivers need support to handle the emotional toll.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Senior Care, Family, family caregivers, Assisted Living

 

Topics: The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, compassionate touch, Hospital Professionals, family caregivers, End-of-life

Far too often I talk to family caregivers who are concerned about their loved one's cognitive decline.  It is not uncommon to hear such explanations go something like this:

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, caregivers, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, family caregivers, Depression, families, older adults, health, Pseudodementia

We have a family caregiving tsunami whose tidal waves are affecting every corner of our society.  I venture to say that most communities are not prepared for the domino effects of a fast-aging population let along to provide support to their families that are scrambling to stay above water - emotionally, physically and financially.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, aging services, Family Caregiver, Family, caregivers, leadership, Alzheimer's disease, caregiving, Faith Community, family caregivers, support, National Family Caregivers Month

Delirium is an acute disorder of attention and global cognition, including perception and memory, and is treatable.  Learning the differences between delirium and dementia is important for professional and family caregivers, as the diagnosis is missed in more than 50% of the cases.

Topics: healthcare, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, family caregivers, professionals, families, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute, older adults, delirium, hospital

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?

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Senior Care, Family, caregivers, Hospital Professionals, caregiving, family caregivers, professionals, families, Anxiety, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute, Grief

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.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, dementia, Family, caregivers, Dementia Live, Dementia Live®Training, Hospital Professionals, family caregivers, faith communities, professionals, older adults, health, communication, Social Workers, CNA, Certified Nurse Assistants, communication skills, Chaplains, Case Managers, Communication Skills Training

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.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Family, Caregiver, caregivers, Faith Community, family caregivers, Caregiver Burnout, Burnout, Public health crisis, Professional Caregivers, Caregiver Stress