Sheboygan County assists caregivers

The Sheboygan County Aging & Disabilities Resource Center has a variety of services available to assist caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Since November is National Alzheimer’s disease Awareness Month and National Caregivers’ Month, Kathy Manny, community services specialist for the Sheboygan County Aging & Disabilities Resource Center, and Chris Jeske CIRS-A, certified information resources specialist in aging, provided information about those services.

“I educate the families of those with Alzheimer’s disease,” Jeske said. “I try to make it basic. I can reach these people, because I speak their language.

“I have always had a passion for the elderly,” she added. “I really love them and can connect with them.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia – a progressive brain dysfunction, leading to an increased restriction of daily activities.

Jeske listed 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease:

. Memory loss – forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia, which is a progressive brain dysfunction that leads to a gradual increased restriction of daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is one form of dementia.

. Difficulty performing familiar tasks – People with dementia often find it difficult to plan or complete every day tasks.

. Problems with language – Those with Alzheimer’s disease of ten forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand.

. Disorientation to time and place – People with Alzheimer’s disease can forget where they are and how they got there.

. Poor or decreased judgment – those with Alzheimer’s disease may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a warm day or show poor judgment about money.

. Problems with abstract thinking – Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks.

. Misplacing things – A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places, like putting an iron into the freezer.

. Changes in mood or behavior – Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may show rapid mood swings, from calm to tears for no apparent reason.

. Changes in personality – The personalities of people with dementia can change dramatically. They may become suspicious of a family member, for example.

. Loss of initiative – A person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual activities.

“Remember there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but doing everything possible, resorting to the supports that are available, can help,” Jeske said.

“Getting an accurate diagnosis is key for both patient and caregiver,” she affirmed.

“Going to a memory clinic for a comprehensive pre-assessment of the individual’s mind, memory and mood is the best option for obtaining a diagnosis,” Jeske noted.

“The memory clinic will not only do an assessment on the patient, but the physician will also talk with family members and caregivers. It’s not just the patient who goes through changes.

“Once the patient gets an accurate diagnosis, he or she can start receiving the proper medication, which can help slow the progression of the disease,” Jeske said.

“Another thing key to survival of a person who has Alzheimer’s disease is keeping that person in his or her familiar surroundings until you can no longer take care of them,” Jeske advised caregivers.

Toward that aim, Sheboygan County has several home health care services – medical and non-medical – which provide in-home care to assist caregivers.

Medical home health agencies provide services that include skilled nursing, physical speech/occupational therapy, wound care and I-V management. Medicare and/or Medicaid programs or private insurance may reimburse medical home health agency costs.

Non-medical, in-home agencies are not licensed as home health agencies by the state and are not authorized to provide skilled care. They are, however, authorized to provide personal care, homemaker services, assistance with medication and companionship services.

Jeske affirmed she has learned the most about Alzheimer’s disease through interaction with caregivers. For the past 10 years, she has facilitated the Alzheimer’s Family Caregiver Support Program for Sheboygan County residents.

The group meets from 6:30-8:30 p.m., on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from January through November. Phone 467-4100 for further information.

“There are about 15 to 20 caregivers in the support group,” she said. “They are the meat and potatoes of the disease. I learn more about the disease from them than I do through textbooks.”

There are two more support groups in Sheboygan County for caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s. One of these – Alzheimer’s Support Group for Family Caregivers – meets at Libby’s House, 2581 Valley Road, Plymouth. Phone 946-7627 for further information.

The other one, Early Stage Alzheimer’s Support Group, meets at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 730 County PPP, Sheboygan Falls. Phone 838-1311 for further information.

These support groups provide a valuable service to individuals, their families and/or caregivers. They offer information, recreation and advocacy, in addition to support.

Caregivers attending these meetings hear presentations on topics such as: getting a diagnosis as early as possible, knowing what resources are available, becoming an educated caregiver, helping themselves by managing their stress levels, accepting changes as they occur, doing legal and financial planning, being realistic and giving themselves credit, not guilt.

Sheboygan County has two day-care programs for persons with dementia. These centers provide supervised and structured programming that includes a variety of health, social and support services in a protective setting during daytime hours. This is a community-based service model, designed to meet the individual needs of people with functional impairments and/or Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

One of these programs meets two days each week at The Gathering Place, 730 County PPP, Sheboygan Falls. Phone 627-6847 for further information.

Another day-care program, held five days per week, is the TLC Adult Day Center, located at 2922 S. Business Drive, Sheboygan. The program provides residential care, day services, vocational services and elder services. Phone Roselle Helschback, program manager, at 457-5850 for further information.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, six out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander. Since wandering can be life-threatening, the stress can weigh heavily upon caregivers.

The Medic Alert + Safe Return program is a 24-hour nationwide emergency response service for persons with Alzheimer’s or dementia who wander. The patient wears an ID bracelet or necklace, which explains on the back that the person is memory impaired. The jewelry item contains an 800 number to call. There’s also a number on the bracelet that identifies the person wearing it to the association.

The person finding the patient phones the toll-free number. Then Medic Alert + Safe Return notifies the member’s listed contacts, making sure the person is returned home. There is someone at Safe Return available 24 hours per day.

“I also recommend that the caregiver wear one of these bracelets or necklaces as well, in case something happens to the caregiver,” Jeske said.

Workshops, designed for caregivers, are another of the resources available. For example “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” is a six-week educational program for family caregivers. It will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, County PPP, Sheboygan Falls, on Jan. 21 and 28 and Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. until noon.

A workshop available through the Alzheimer’s Association is the “Savvy Caregiver Training Program” – professional-level training for the non-professional. Based on research by experts, this new, six-week course provides clinical-level training for family caregivers.

The workshop provides skills to assess the abilities of the person with dementia and to adjust the caregiver’s approach over time. It also assists caregivers with building confidence to set and achieve caregiving goals and strategies to manage activities of daily living.

The date for this workshop has not yet been determined. However, it will be held sometime next spring.

Respite is another tool available for caregivers. This is a program or service, designed to provide family members or primary caregivers with some time off from their care-giving duties. Another family member, friend, agency, CBRF or skilled nursing facility can provide respite.

Supplemental services are available too. These include items such as intercom systems and medical equipment.

“A couple of grants for respite and supplemental services are available for those who qualify,” Manny noted.

Residential facilities are available to care for those with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Sheboygan County has many of these facilities,” Manny said.

Note: The Sheboygan County Aging & Disability Resource Center has a new location. The new address is 650 Forest Ave., Sheboygan Falls. For further information, contact Kathy Manny or Chris Jeske at 467-4100.