Building a Care Team Following an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or you have a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; you are undoubtedly going through an emotionally-draining and tumultuous time. One thing that could help you is to go ahead and develop your care team now. This is a group of support people that will help you and your loved one through the different stages of the disease. Here are a few things to consider when deciding if you would benefit from a care team:
Why do I need to build a team now?
A team can reduce the stress and feelings of being out of control of your own life. A team can help you or your loved one live a more productive and active life during the early stages of the disease. Once you have a team in place you can make plans for daily living and emergencies and you can assign roles to each team member. As the disease progresses, it may be harder for you to make decisions, so having a team already in place with specific instructions and roles can help both you and your family members.
Who should I include in my care team?
Typically, you want to include family, friends, professional advisors, social workers, care coordinators and doctors. I would also strongly recommend that you contact Washington County Elder Care and learn about the many programs that they offer for individuals battling this disease as well as their caregivers. Ask people that you trust to make important decisions for you if you are not able. Have a conversation with your team and express your wishes to them. Plan in advance what type of long-term care you’d like and what medical care you would prefer in the later stages of the disease. Neighbors can also be key members of your team in the early stages – especially if you live alone. Since they are close by, they can help with day-to-day tasks and are relatively easy to contact in case of emergencies. You should also contact other community groups or church groups that might be able to help with day-to-day tasks.
Tips for developing your care team
Talk to potential members and gauge their interest and willingness in joining your team. Discuss what you will need from them and their ability to help you as well as their availability to assist. Make sure to be as specific as you can and let them know exactly what you will need to the best of your knowledge. Understand that some people are not going to be able to be a part of your care team. Their family and work obligations may mean that they do not have the necessary amount of time required to devote to you. Don’t take this type of response negatively. Be glad that they let you know in advance, as you want to make sure that people have the time to care for you or your loved one when you need it.
It’s also wise to start scheduling consultations with professional advisors if you do not currently have any. The first appointment you make should be with an Elder Law attorney in order that he or she will review your current planning documents and will help you to craft legal documents such as Durable Powers of Attorney and Healthcare directives that give your care team actual legal authority to act for you when you are no longer able to make necessary decisions. He or she may also help you implement an asset protection plan now so that your finances are not an issue and your family is not on the hook when it comes time to pursue options for long-term care later.
Building a support team now can make it a bit easier to think about the situations you may face as well as enable you or your loved one to focus all of your energy on battling this insidious illness. When you start these conversations, you will find many people will come forward and offer their help. Take the help that is offered! A care team can make a big difference in either you or your loved one’s quality of life.