Answers to the common three questions when someone has Alzheimer’s disease
Janet Hamada-Kelley was searching for resources to help a family member diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. That search brought her to the Alzheimer’s Association Website, and eventually led her to the position of Executive Director of the San Diego/Imperial County Chapter.
“I got involved with the Alzheimer’s Association for many reasons, but first and foremost, I have a family connection. My husband’s grandmother is currently living with Alzheimer’s, and I have seen firsthand how a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can change a family,” she says.
At Home Nursing Care interviewed Hamada-Kelley while our home care agency hosted a BBQ fundraiser for The Longest Day- an annual funding drive which helps fund the organization programs.
She says a need to find resources is the top reason people first reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s & Dementia Home Care | San Diego Home Care.
“Whether it’s finding a support group or looking for community reasons or very specific resources such as ‘How do I get someone to shower?’ or ‘How do I get someone to eat their meals?’ and really just trying to figure out and navigate their day to day.”
An estimated 6.5 million Americans older than 65 years are living with Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia, a number expected to grow by at least 6.7% in every state by 2025. Older age is the number one risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia. According to the 2022 annual report by the Association
https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf
The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s dementia increases dramatically with age: 5.0% of people age 65 to 74, 13.1% of people age 75 to 84 and 33.2% of people age 85 or older have Alzheimer’s dementia.
The second reason according to Hamada-Kelley for people to contact the Alzheimer’s Association is for information about placement or in home care or home health.
“Trying to figure out where their loved ones should go or what their options are in terms of care and making sure that they have everything they need for a good quality of life.”
The third reason people reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association, according to Hamada-Kelley, is how to get involved in the community.
“Whether it’s through our events or through our events or our education programs – just learning more about what we’re doing in our community and how they can get involved.”
Sometimes the disease process starts slowly, with an elderly loved one showing signs of mild cognitive impairment.
At Home Nursing Care specialized in Alzheimer’s/Dementia care including providing a highly regarded Teepa Snow dementia certification program to our caregivers, home health aides and nurses. To learn more about homecare options, visit us online at www.athomenursingcare.com or call us at 760-634-8000.
Having a caregiver to help when someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease is not only about improving daily health, hygiene and safety, it’s also an opportunity to give a break to other family members and increase quality of life of the client. Having in home care can be fun, as many of our clients learn once they begin service with us and get comfortable with their professional care provider.
Our care is personally tailored to each client by a Care Manager, Certified our one of our experienced and compassionate nursing supervisors in San Diego County or Los Angeles County. We create a client-centered plan of care including focusing on the client’s strengths, needs and wants and then supervise the care provided by our direct care staff.
If you have questions about care, reach out to the Alzheimer’s Association online at www.alz.org or through their 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900.
To watch the full interview with Janet Hamada-Kelley, click play below.
