By Michelle Rogers, Community Services Manager, Camarillo Health Care District.
More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease and nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for a family member or friend living with dementia. As specialists in Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias, Camarillo Health Care District understands the challenges and adjustments families experience while living with this diagnosis. In the role of family caregiver, making decisions about such things as daily care, home safety and wandering, difficult behaviors, or the timing of other hard decisions, can be overwhelming. So, that’s why the district has positioned itself as a specialist in supporting family caregivers and their loved ones living with dementia. In 2017, the district won the Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award for its efforts.
Working through innovative partnerships with the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving and the Administration for Community Living, district staff are trained and certified in the Dealing with Dementia program. This program provides practical strategies and best practices for caregivers, which assists them in providing care for their loved ones and themselves. The goal is for Alzheimer’s and dementia family caregivers to gain a better understanding of dementia, utilize strategies to effectively manage problem behaviors, and handle caregiver stress and burnout.
The district offers this program as a four-hour workshop, highlighting topics such as the caregiving experience with an easily understandable explanation of dementia, best practices in caregiving, and problem solving with dementia behaviors. Family caregivers are encouraged to find time for self-care and stress management and are given a manual specifically for dementia caregivers. Additionally, the district provides a broad range of other programs and services that offer professional and practical help for family caregivers, including Care Consultations to connect families with community resources, a Caregiver Support Group, and Depression and Caregiver Well-Being Screening, all based in the district’s Caregiver Center.
“Caring for a loved one can feel like you’re floating in the middle of the ocean all alone,” said district CEO Blair Barker. “Our Caregiver Center is like a flotation device. We’re here to help keep caregivers afloat. We are here to help them care for their loved ones — and themselves.”
A high-impact, dementia simulation experience called Dementia Live immerses participants into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with cognitive impairment and sensory change. Participants are outfitted in specialized gear and given a series of tasks to perform. The challenges and struggles one faces become very real to the participant, triggering heightened empathy and understanding, creating a catalyst for meaningful communication and improving quality of care.
The district also offers SHARE, a program for people experiencing early- to mid-stage dementia, and their caregivers. The acronym stands for support, health, activities, resources and education. A trained health coach engages in discussions about symptoms, communication and healthy activities, while helping clients plan for the future, keeping the client’s own values and preferences in mind for their life as the disease progresses.
The program, based on research by the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and initially funded through a grant from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, consists of five sessions with a trained health coach, with an optional sixth session for family to be included. They work on specific goals, topics and exercises, and build a care plan that reflects the person’s personal preferences.
For family caregivers needing respite or looking for socialization and stimulation for their loved ones with dementia, the district offers an Adult Day Program (named Innovative Program of the Year by CSDA in 2015). Activities are designed for socialization, mental and physical enrichment and recreation for all abilities. Activities include games and puzzles, pet therapy, music and singing, stimulation to improve mental and physical health, and Magic Table games created for a range of cognitive abilities with varying levels of complexity. The center is designed to provide a safe, respectful and compassionate option for adults who benefit from additional care during the day due to health conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, stroke, brain injury, decreasing mobility, isolation and loneliness.
As part of the district’s public outreach, presentations to community groups include information on the Adult Day Program, Home-Delivered Meals Program, CARE-A-VAN Transportation Services, Caregiver Center and classes, as well as information on Dementia Friendly Ventura County and how to become a “Dementia Friend,” designed to help educate the public about having understanding, tolerance and patience, and to advocate for the growing number of adults with the disease. To learn more about offering a dementia specialty at your healthcare district or becoming a “Dementia Friendly” organization, which is as simple as watching a series of short videos, call the district at 805-388-1952. Solutions and Innovations.
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