It’s National Family Caregivers Month!

November is National Family Caregivers Month and Alzheimer’s Family Center (AFC) wants to honor and empower the more than 34,000 family caregivers in Orange County, California.

We salute your dedication, compassion, perseverance and ongoing care of your loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. We understand your day-to-day challenges and have resources to help.

Workshop Series for Caregivers This Month

Alzheimer’s Association, Orange County Chapter, and AFC are pleased to co-sponsor a series of online workshops in November for caregivers of patients in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease. The first one has passed, but there are two more interesting workshops where you will hear professionals and caregivers discuss helpful strategies to provide safe, effective and comfortable care. You don’t have to attend both, but you must pre-register online or by phone in order to receive the Zoom log in.

November 13th, 2020, 1-2 pm: Safety in the Middle Stage

Learn effective ways to manage challenging behaviors, how to maximize safety at home, signs of unsafe driving and tips to stop driving, and preparing for and preventing wandering.

Click link to pre-register for this topic:

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Events/alz/MeetingDetails.aspx?productId=71788792

November 20th, 2020, 1-2 pm: Understanding Care Options

Learn about respite care options including informal care, day services, in-home care services and senior living options, as well as managing and coping with difficult feelings.

Click link to pre-register for this topic:

https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Events/alz/MeetingDetails.aspx?productId=71788808

To register by phone, please call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-272-3900. For more information, please call Judy Osuna, Community Outreach Manager, at 714-593-9630 or email her at JOsuna@afscenter.org.

Free Caregiver E-books Available

Thanks to the generosity of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, AFC created a library of ten e-books for family caregivers called “Caring for a Loved One with Dementia – A Practical Guide for Family Caregivers.”

The books cover a wide range of topics that equip family caregivers with the knowledge and skills they need to best care for themselves and their loved ones. Click here for the free download page.

They can be read in any order, and we’ve highlighted two of the books in this series below:

Dementia Signs, Stages & Symptoms

Researchers have learned that dementia begins to develop years before it is diagnosed. A caregiver may notice subtle changes in cognition or behavior in a loved one that may seem like normal aging. But is it? Learn what comprises normal aging, the signs of Alzheimer’s disease, and what to expect as the condition progresses.

How to Get A Diagnosis, And What To Do Next?

While normal aging includes experiences like slower recall, more difficulty remembering names, and taking longer to learn new things, these are, in fact, normal experiences. Cognitive disorders, or memory disorders, are conditions that cause individuals to have difficulty thinking clearly. They can impair perception, memory, communication, reasoning, judgment, or socially appropriate behavior. Some people may also have changes in mood. Not all memory loss means Alzheimer’s disease. Memory loss can also be the product of other medical and psychiatric conditions, including depression. No matter the cause, memory loss is NEVER normal at any age, and you should always seek medical attention for someone experiencing changes in memory and begin treatment as soon as possible as most disorders are treatable when detected early.

 Our staff is honored to assist and serve so many strong caregivers during National Family Caregivers Month. Thank you for all you do every day!