Dementia Caregiver Support

Dementia is a progressive disease best categorized through stages. There’s early, middle, and late-stage dementia, each stage requiring a different level of care and support for both you and your loved one. This article is here to help you navigate the available dementia resources for family members: what to expect as a caregiver and what caregiver support is out there for you. Let’s dive in.

Stages of Dementia

Before we talk specifics, let’s touch on the dementia stages and what the progression of the disease looks like. There are several stages of dementia as it progresses that can help you determine where your loved one is today and where they might get to.

Stage of Dementia	Some Signs & Symptoms (Not Exclusive)
Early Stage Dementia	Struggling to find the right word or name of familiar things.Difficulty remembering names when introduced to new people.Finding it difficult to complete tasks in social or work settings.Forgetting recently read/consumed material.Losing or misplacing valuable objects more frequently.Increased difficulty with planning and/or organizing.
Middle Stage Dementia	Forgetting major events or pieces of personal history.Having a hard time and/or being completely unable to recall information about themselves (for example, memorized details like their university major or home address)Feeling confused about where they are.Not recalling what day it is.Struggling with simple logical connections (like forgetting to wear waterproof clothing in the rain).Incontinence.Feeling increasingly moody or withdrawn.Increased difficulty with social situations.Sleep pattern troubles/disruptions.A tendency to wander aimlessly or get lost.Personality and behavior shifts, including “suspiciousness and delusions or compulsive, repetitive behavior like hand-wringing or tissue shredding.”
Late Stage Dementia	In late-stage dementia, your loved one may need around-the-clock care. They may show signs of: Struggling to hold awareness/memories of recent experiences or surroundings.Struggling to move (like walk, stand, or sit)Difficulty with communication.Increasing susceptibility to infections, especially pneumonia.

Chart Information Source: Alz.org

Dementia in all its stages is terrifying – both for the loved one dealing with it, and the families trying to care for them through it. But you don’t have to go through this alone. There are a lot of available dementia resources for family members, so let’s talk about a few of your options, next.

Support groups

When you hear the term “support group,” your first thought is likely around addiction recovery and you may not understand the recommendation.

But support groups exist for all sorts of reasons – their primary purpose is to connect people who can relate to one another to talk through challenges, find an understanding ear, or link to more effective resources.

In most regions of California, there are caregiver support groups specifically designed to help you through this challenging stage of life. These groups are full of fellow caregivers currently going through what you are, past caregivers who have been through it before, and professional support (like nurses, experts, and more) who can help you through the specific challenges related to caring for someone with dementia.

If you feel isolated because no one understands what you’re going through, unsure if you’re making the right choices, or lost about what to expect, a dementia caregiver support group may be the perfect place for you. Learn more about finding one here.

Financial

Emotional support is not the only tool at your disposal either. California offers financial resources to family caregivers facing down a dementia diagnosis. There are a lot of programs designed with you in mind, but you’ll miss out on them if you don’t know to look for them.

The financial burden of family caregiving is substantial, and for many families, crippling. Family caregivers spend an average of $7,000 per year on out-of-pocket expenses according to a study by AARP.

To help you through it, the state of California has a lot of options compared to most states. We’ve broken them down for you in a full article available here.

Respite

Caring for a loved one with dementia is draining. There are so many tasks that need to be handled, appointments made and attended, errands run, activities of daily life managed, and more – and that doesn’t even touch on the stress and fear over their behavior/risks to their personal safety.

When it all gets to be a bit too much, or ideally, before you hit that point, respite care is a fantastic option. Respite care is the technical term for hiring a professional caregiver to stand in your place on either an hourly, weekly, or monthly basis to give you a break.

There are resources available through the California Caregiver Resource Center that can help you find and pay for respite care as needed. Check out our free CareNav™ portal to get started.

In-home care services

Finally, you don’t have to handle it all yourself. There are a lot of in-home care services you can use as a part of your support system.

In-home care services are designed to help meet your and your loved one’s needs where you are so they can maintain independence and personal well being for as long as possible. It involves things like providing aid with daily living activities, personal care, and even simple companionship within your own home(s).

Final thoughts

If you’re a caregiver providing care to a loved one with dementia, you don’t have to do it all alone. There are a lot of resources out there designed to support you.

If you’re looking for support as a dementia caregiver, the California Caregiver Resource Centers are here to support you. We are a non-profit network of 11 Centers that support caregivers across the state of California. Every county in the state is covered.

Dementia Caregiver Support

Stages of Dementia