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Creating & Maintaining a Care Plan
What About My Health As a Caregiver?
The Alzheimer's Association defines a caregiver as someone who provides care for another individual, such as a friend or family member, living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Caregivers may live with the person they are caring for, live nearby, or be located far away. You are considered a caregiver if you engage in any of the following tasks:
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Creating & Maintaining a Care Plan
When you're learning about Alzheimer's disease and taking care of someone with it, you might find there are words you’re not familiar with. The Alzheimer's Association made this glossary to help you understand better.
A care plan is when you write down all the important things about someone's health, what they need help with, and what treatments they're getting. It's like a map that shows what needs to be done to take care of them. Using a care plan helps you keep everything organized and figure out what steps to take first. Having a care plan can make you feel more in control and sure that you're doing everything right to help the person you're caring for. Creating and maintaining a care plan will assist you in balancing your life with the one you care for.
How to Make a Care Plan:
- Start by talking to the person you take care of. Use the Complete Care Plan to help guide your conversation.
- If the person you're caring for can't tell you everything you need to know, talk to others who know them well, like family members or home nurse aides. They can join the conversation and help fill out the form.
- Ask about different ways to care for the person you're helping. Medicare can cover doctor visits to manage long-term health problems and talk about plans for the future, especially for people with Alzheimer’s, other memory problems, or who might have trouble thinking clearly.
- It's a good idea to update the care plan every year, or more often if the person's health or medicines change. And always remember to keep the person's personal information private and respect their privacy when talking about their health.
Care Options
Taking care of someone with Alzheimer's disease or Related Dementia isn't the same for everyone. Things change as the disease gets worse, and every family is different. Figuring out what care is best can be hard. Access care options here.
What About My Health as a Caregiver?
As Alzheimer’s progresses, your role as caregiver changes. Learn how to prepare at each stage.
Your health is very important, especially as a caregiver, so talk to your doctor if you have any concerns or worries about your health. Caregivers can feel discouraged, worried, or tired sometimes, and that can affect their bodies and minds. Many times, caregivers forget to take care of themselves while they're taking care of someone else. This can make them more likely to have many health problems.
Did you know that almost 2 out of 5 caregivers have at least two health problems? Caregivers who help people with memory problems like dementia or Alzheimer's have more anxiety and are more stressed than caregivers of people with other health problems. As someone who takes care of others, you have lots of important jobs to do. But it's also really important to take care of yourself and talk to people who know what you're going through. Find caregiver support in your community here.
Caregiver Resources
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Complete Care Plan.
Alzheimer's Association. Caregiving.
Alzheimer’s Association. Community.