Adult Day Care…Vital Rest for the Caregiver.
By The demands of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming. If this stress is left untreated, it can take a toll on your health, relationships, and state of mind—eventually leading to caregiver burnout. When you are experiencing burnout, it is difficult to do anything, let alone care for someone else.
Caregiver stress can be particularly damaging since it is typically a chronic, long-term challenge. You may face years or even decades of caregiving responsibilities. It can be particularly discouraging when there’s no hope that your family member will get better.
Without adequate help and support, you may become vulnerable to a wide range of physical and emotional problems, ranging from heart disease to depression. Other signs and symptoms of caregiver burnout include anxiety, depression, irritability, and trouble concentrating. Feeling tired and run-down, difficulty sleeping and overreacting to minor situations are other common symptoms. Learning to recognize the signs of caregiver stress and burnout is the first step to dealing with this problem.
Once you have recognized the symptoms of caregiver burnout and you realize that full-time caregiving is no longer a healthy option for you or your loved one, it is time to seek help. Remember, you won’t be able to care for someone else if you don’t take care of yourself.
The professional care choices, however, can be overwhelming and often, families do not want to hire care inside their home or place their loved one in an expensive residential community. Those services are excellent for some, but are there any other choices? What else can you do? Perhaps it is time to consider an adult day program.
The George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, Inc.® is one such day program and offers an excellent alternative. With its first center nestled in the heart of Hillcrest and fondly called “The Little Blue House”, the George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, Inc.® is truly a hidden gem in San Diego. Founded by Joy Glenner and the late Dr. George G. Glenner, the famous researcher and physician who discovered the link between the beta-amyloid protein and Alzheimer’s, these centers offer vital respite for distraught caregivers.
Now with centers in Hillcrest, Encinitas, and Chula Vista, each Glenner Center offers compassionate, expert dementia care for individuals with all forms of dementia Monday-Friday, 8:45 a.m-5:15 p.m. Their day program allows your loved one to continue to live at home while still receiving the expert care and socialization they need during the daytime hours. It also allows you, as the caregiver, to get the break that is essential for your own health.
Please give the Glenner Centers a call. They can help.
Written by: Lisa Tyburski
Director of Business Development | George G. Glenner Alzheimer’s Family Centers, Inc.®
www.glenner.org | 619-543-4700
