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Balancing Alzheimer
Care Giving and Work
By
Beverly Moore |
 Quincy
– A new word was introduced at a recent Chamber of Commerce
workshop for employers which focused on care-giving and work
productivity. That new word was “presenteeism.” This term
describes an employee who is present bodily at work but
often distracted due to cares at home. Work productivity
starts to decline, often noticed first by the employee
himself. They come in late due to duties at home, perhaps
getting mother to a day program. Phone calls are made to
check in at home to be sure everything is ok or perhaps to
follow up on a doctor’s suggestions for medication and
treatments.
Many caregivers do not recognize the stress they feel is due
to care-giving responsibilities and continue to handle
everything themselves; home care, family obligations and
work. Their attention to their personal needs takes a back
seat, adding to the stress. Physical and emotional illness
may exacerbate the strain of the balancing act or be the
result.
Caregivers generally experience an incremental increase in
responsibility for an elder, not identifying themselves as
caregivers at all. They may first help handling the bills,
then help with the shopping, perhaps later accompany their
family member on doctors’ appointments or pick up
medications. They may start to notice the elder is not
nourished adequately, preferring to eat simple sweets and
tea rather than prepare a meal. So they stop in more
frequently to deliver or prepare and share meals. The
caregiver may finally realize that they need help. “Where do
I go to find what help is available?” “Am I doing the right
thing by mom?” “Is this the right decision?” Finally, “I
can’t do this alone anymore.”
When the elder has Alzheimer’s or another disorder that
affects memory and ability to use reasoning and judgment the
responsibilities increase significantly. Safety and well
being become a concern. Alzheimer’s, a progressive cognitive
illness, presents the caregiver with realization that this
is a long term commitment for them. It is thought that
someone caring for a person with Alzheimer’s experiences the
same stress as a soldier in combat; on duty 24/7, watching
for the next emergency to appear and not knowing when it
will happen.
Many employees, it seems, do not access their Employee
Assistance Program, fearing loss of their job if they reveal
their struggle balancing work and care-giving. Many are
unaware of the wealth of information to be gained about
resources for caregivers and muddle along alone.
Some of the resources for caregivers can also be accessed at
the local council on aging or, here in Massachusetts, at one
of the 27 Aging Service Access Points (ASAP) agencies that
provide services to elders and their caregivers. Each ASAP,
funded by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, has a
caregiver program for people whose income exceeds the
guidelines of receiving services through their case
management program. Caregiver programs offer a variety of
services including coaching in managing Alzheimer’s at home,
respite funds for in home helpers, as well as an array of
services to ensure safety like the Alzheimer’s Association
Safe Return program and the Sheriff’s Project Lifesaver
program. Those elders served under the case management
programs can receive nutritional meals, housekeeping,
laundry, shopping, companionship and personal care.
Another helpful resource for caregivers is support groups.
They are numerous; some for early stage patients and their
partners, others for care partners alone. These groups are
wonderful for lessening the feeling of aloneness, finding
others who need information and support in the care-giving
role. A list of groups can be found on the Alzheimer’s
Association website. In Massachusetts that is
www.alzmass.org. The national site is www.alz.org. Support
groups on site at work, perhaps during the lunch hour, may
help the employee find a group and attend after hours.
It is essential that the Alzheimer caregiver be educated
about the disease and the behavior changes to expect.
Learning how to relate to someone with Alzheimer’s is
exceptionally important. Education and support reduces the
perceived burden of care significantly. Research shows that
telephonic coaching for the Alzheimer caregiver alone
reduces the perceived burden of care. In home coaching has
been proven to keep a family member with Alzheimer’s at home
up to two years longer than without the education and
support of a coach. Recognizing their limits, learning about
resources and asking for help, the caregiver finds relief in
the care partnering role. Coping skills are improved as the
care is shared. |
About The Author
Beverly Moore is owner of StilMee™ The leader in
Alzheimer Coaching, a company exclusively dedicated to
educating, empowering and supporting care partners through
the journey of Alzheimer’s caregiving. Stil- Mee coaches are
available for in home coaching in Massachusetts including
Cape Cod and northern Rhode Island. Telephonic coaching is
available anywhere in the United States. For more
information, you may visit Beverly’s web site at
www.StilMee.com. Beverly is also author of the book Matters
of the Mind…and the Heart, Meeting the challenges of
Alzheimer Care, published by Advantage Media Group.
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