Alzheimer's association speaks about caring for self

Daily Star-Journal - 3/22/2017

March 22--WARRENSBURG -- With costs increasing for the care of people with Alzheimer's disease and more families trying to care for them at home, the Alzheimer's Association and Care Connection host "Becoming a Resilient Caregiver."

Michelle Niedans from the Alzheimer's Association Heart of America Chapter will present the session from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Warrensburg Senior Center, 445 E. Gay St.

Care Connection case manager Laura Miles said sessions and education like "Become a Resilient Caregiver" are important for those caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia.

"People who are caregivers tend to not care for themselves," she said. "It's sad because they need the support."

The agency has attempted to offer support groups but Miles found caregivers often "simply do not have the time" to attend.

"The baby boomers are working, caring for children or grandchildren, caring for a spouse or a parent with the disease," she said.

In Warrensburg, the Alzheimer's Support Group meets at 10:30 a.m. on the first and third Friday at the Senior Center. Senior Center Director Melissa Gower cared for her mother, Lucille Clifton, who died March 10, for more than 12 years.

Gower said as Clifton's illness progressed, in-residence care became more difficult and led to using a nursing home.

2017 statistics show caring for those with Alzheimer's and dementia will cost $259 billion and caregivers providing care will take more than 18 billion hours.

A survey shows 35 percent of caregivers of someone with dementia report their health has worsened compared to 19 percent of caregivers of someone without dementia.

Miles said men are stepping forward to care for family members.

Gower said there is a national focus on Alzheimer's and dementia.

"We are more aware of what that patient looks like," she said.

Statistics show a person develops the disease every 66 seconds and by 2050, more than 16 million people will live with the disease.

"This is a disease no one can prevent," Gower said. "There is always that initial fear of people knowing about it and once they are over that hurdle, they become more open to help."

Gower said sometimes learning about the disease is a jolt. She had to put on her "work face" and leave the house, but not without constant concern for her mother's safety.

"I would worry and fret constantly," she said. "It's like this black cloud that follows you everywhere. When my mother got out, that was when I knew I had to let her go and I had to ask for help."

The situation affected Gower's health, she said.

"She would not sleep and she would wander," Gower said. "She was yelling and disrupting sleep."

Despite the challenges, Gower said she would not change a thing.

"My mother had a good life and I'm glad I was able to care for her," she said. "It hasn't really soaked in that she is gone."

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