Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - 27

WEIGHING OPTIONS

Families facing decisions about caregiving need to consider all available options, Locker says. Her practice tries
to help families work through the possibilities, including
having siblings split up the work or having parents pay
for care if they're able, rather than children providing it.
MetLife's report on caregiving costs offers similar
advice: "Both male and female family caregivers need to
be more aware of the long-term financial implications of
leaving work or dropping back to part time in order to
care for older relatives."
Locker advises giving caretaking a trial run.
"We try to counsel our clients on taking family leave,"
she says. "Take a short break from your job, do the caretaking and see how hard it really is."
For people looking to plan ahead for when they might
need caregiving or need to provide it, the Merrill Lynch
report recommends looking into long-term care insurance and designating savings for healthcare costs in
retirement. Experts also recommend having advance
conversations with family to discuss wishes and potential strategies in case care is needed.
With some planning, families can have a better shot at
a caregiving solution that works best for everybody, so it
doesn't simply fall to an overworked daughter. ■

UNIQUE
DEMANDS:

PROVIDING CARE
FOR ALZHEIMER'S
AND DEMENTIA
Millions of Americans help provide care for older
adult family members or friends. And while this
important role can be very enriching and meaningful,
it can also be very demanding and stressful.
"This is especially true with a condition like
Alzheimer's because of the length of time someone
can live with the disease-it may be four to eight
years, or it may be 20," says Kartikeya Patel, MD,
a geriatrician with GMG's Gwinnett Internal
Medicine Associates. "Furthermore, as the disease
continues to progress, the patient will only continue
to need more and more care, eventually being
100 percent dependent on the caregiver for all
needs," explains Dr. Patel.
Needless to say, this type of caregiving is especially
stressful and can take a significant toll on mental
health. For example, nearly 30 to 40 percent of
caregivers for people with dementia report suffering
from depression, well above the 5 to 17 percent
of the general population of similar ages.
To help find an outlet of support and understanding
to cope with caregiving hardships, there are a
variety of different options that may work for you.
These include:
3 Counseling
3 Support groups
3 Respite-planned, temporary relief for the
caregiver through substitute care
3 Structured educational programs
3 Structured therapeutic programs

WEBSITE

Care for the Caregiver
One of the many ways GMC helps
caregivers is with a specialized support
group. For more information, visit
gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/support.

FAL L 2019

27



http://www.gwinnettmedicalcenter.org/support

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - Contents
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - 2
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - 3
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Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - Cover3
Vim & Vigor - Fall 2019 - GMC - Cover4
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