Upcoming Events

Alzheimer's Town Hall Forum Practical Advice for the Alzheimer's Caregiving Journey

The recent educational seminar for family caregivers featuring memory care and medical experts was especially helpful. As a follow-up, we are including a recap, links to the slides, and a few helpful links.

A representative from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department was on-hand to review the Take Me Home program, a free online registry designed to assist in the timely reunification of those with Alzheimer’s or other disabilities that may wander. Online enrollment is quick and easy.

Dr. Chang, board-certified in geriatrics and internal medicine, shared some helpful tips when caring for a loved one with dementia. Among his key points:

• Monitor the weight of a loved one. Significant weight loss could be an indicator of something wrong.
• Encourage good nutrition and hydration because as we age, we lose our sense of thirst. (IDEA: Make liquid intake a social activity. Take a lemonade/water/coffee break.)
• Just like Muscle cells, Brain cells will grow when stimulated. Physical, social, and cognitive exercises can keep your loved one in shape.

To review the slides from the full presentation, you can view them here.

Todd Shetter’s presentation was for the caregiver and provided tips for addressing many challenges. Highlights of his talk include:

• The health of the caregiver is essential. Ask for AND accept help.
• Guilt can be paralyzing. To avoid a build-up/blow-up situation, create a plan and move forward.
• Little white lies can be helpful when explaining plans to a loved one.

The full presentation can be found here.

Need more help? Representatives at ActivCare can provide more helpful tips or help you find additional resources. Please contact a community near you at 888-636-5677. Or visit our caregiver library.

Sign up to get invited to the next Town Hall Forum by clicking the button below.