These are indeed exciting times in the research into and treatment of Alzheimer”™s, with the drug Lecanemab having a beneficial effect on those with mild cognitive impairment, while music and synchronized light therapy has shown that”¯stimulating brain waves at the right frequencies can improve memory and cognition and even decrease the plaques and tau tangles in the brain that”¯cause Alzheimer’s.
We”™ll have more on the music and light therapy studies being done at the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function in Mount Vernon in the Jan. 30 edition of the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals. But in the meantime, we should stress that we are still deep in the woods on Alzheimer”™s and there is another aspect that must always be considered ”“ the devastated caregiver.
A 2022”¯report”¯from the Alzheimer”™s Association found that 83% of the care provided to older adults in the United States comes from family members, friends or other unpaid caregivers. Nearly half of all caregivers (48%) who provide help to older adults do so for someone with dementia, the umbrella term for a number of cognitive impairment conditions that includes Alzheimer”™s.
Caregivers are at risk for depression and can develop other stress-related health conditions. The Alzheimer”™s Association found that 17% of caregivers were in poor physical health, while more than 52% had chronic health conditions and more than 28% reported depression.
If caregivers have one or more of the following symptoms, they may be experiencing caregiver stress:
- They regularly feel like they have to do it all themselves and that they should be doing more;
- They withdraw from family, friends and activities that they used to enjoy;
- They worry about the safety of the person they care for;
- They regularly feel anxious about money and health care-related decisions;
- They deny the effect of the disease and its effects on their family;
- They feel grief or sadness that their relationship with the person isn”™t what it used to be;
- They feel frustrated or angry when the person continually repeats things and doesn”™t seem to listen; and
- They experience health problems that take a physical or mental toll.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)”¯found”¯that more than half (53%) of caregivers indicate that a decline in their health compromises their ability to provide care. And caregivers and their families often experience economic decline through lost wages and an increase in medical expenses.
The CDC also reports that caring for an older adult can be associated with elevated levels of depression and anxiety, higher use of psychoactive medications, worse self-reported physical health, compromised immune function and increased risk of early death.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, the American Psychological Association”¯found”¯that two-thirds of unpaid caregivers for older adults reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom in the 30 days prior to taking a June survey, while roughly one-third of unpaid caregivers reported mental or behavioral health problems such as anxiety, depression or substance use in the 30 days prior to the survey.
Identifying this stress is the first important step so that caregivers can work toward managing their own health by consulting their doctor and taking advantage of Alzheimer”™s Association resources. Available free resources include confidential information and support, in-depth care consultations, caregiver support groups, education programs specifically for caregivers, helpful online tools and referrals to local resources.
But also knowing that you are not alone, that you can share your burdens with others, if only in conversation, and that you have an escape, if only for a few hours, can make a big difference.
The Long Island Chapter of the Alzheimer”™s Association will present a Virtual Caregiver Book Club starting Feb. 1 from noon to 1 p.m. For six weeks, the group will read and discuss “On Pluto: Inside the Mind of Alzheimer”™s” by Greg O”™Brien. The facilitator is Linda Martinez, LCSW-R, an advanced social worker in gerontology with NYU Langone Geriatric Medicine Associates ”” Mineola.”¯
O”™Brien, an award-winning investigative reporter, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer”™s. He wanted to write about his journey with the disease.
“My book is a blueprint of strategies, faith and humor; a day-to-day focus on living with Alzheimer”™s, not dying of it; a hope that all is not lost when it appears to be,” O”™Brien said in an interview with The Washington Post.”¯
“Our book club is an emotional outlet for caregivers to share with others that understand their situation,” said Joanna Rekas, care services manager at the Alzheimer”™s Association, Long Island Chapter. “Greg O”™Brien”™s book is a catalyst for discussing experiences and challenges that caregivers may face.”
Participants will be mailed a free copy of the book. To register, contact Rekas at jrekas@alz.org or call 800-272-3900. ”“
