December 27, 2007

Your Time to Care

It took me several days to watch the entire presentation of Your Time to Care, a DVD from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America eStore. The presentation is 142 minutes long, no longer than many movies, so I certainly could have watched in in one sitting. It was emotionally-charged for me, though, and I found that I needed breaks in between viewing sessions. The DVD is intended to provide an understanding of how to provide in-home care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. I think it does an exemplary job of accomplishing its stated task, but I also think it’s applicable to a much wider audience. My long-time readers know that I was my father’s primary caregiver in his last year. He did not have Alzheimer’s. He had had multiple strokes. His brain still functioned much as it had throughout his adult life, but his body had become a damaged vessel. The DVD helps caregivers learn how to deal with the memory loss, confusion and acting out that many Alzheimer’s patients exhibit, but it also addresses the physical needs of anyone who is unable to take care of themselves. I found myself spiraling out of control emotionally as I watched lessons in encouraging someone to eat when their body no longer sends hunger signals, and in finding dignified ways to help tend to previously very private acts of toileting and cleanliness. I’ve been there and done that, and I could not help but think that it would have been easier for me and for my father if I’d had this DVD at my disposal back then. I had instructions from doctors and nurses and nutritionists, but the step-by-step, day-to-day care issues were never addressed. I had to learn as I went along what worked and what didn’t. I’m reminded of the terrible day that I had to call 911. I had left my father alone on the toilet. He slipped and became wedged between the toilet and the tub and I could not get him up. It was horrifying for both of us, and a blow to his dignity to have strangers see him in such circumstances. Having had lessons in daily care would have spared us both that experience because I would have learned a simple lesson: don’t leave him alone in situations where he could fall. I could cite numerous examples of how the DVD presentation could have made our lives better, but I think the one suffices. I heartily recommend Your Time to Care to anyone caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, of course, but also for caregivers taking care of adults with other diseases or limitations. I would not give up the time my father and I had together for any amount of money, but I wish I had had more knowledge about his needs during that time. I truely think this DVD could have made it a much easier time for both of us.

You can help support the mission of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America by shopping at their eStore. If you’re a procrastinator like me and still have a holiday gift or two to buy, please consider giving their lovely jewelry or something from their AFA quilt logo product line. Take a look at the DVD while you’re there, too. If you’re not a caregiver, you probably know someone else who is. I can think of no more meaningful gift than one that provides a caregiver with the basic tools they need as they tend to a loved one. My copy will be going soon to a friend who is caring for her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. I can’t change my own past experience, but I’m happy to be able to provide them with a practical guide that will make their lives safer and more pleasant.

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