Caregiver Help

Caregiver Resources

Finding the resources to help in your situation can be overwhelming. We've gathered resources from the leading experts in this field to help.

Michigan Great Lakes Chapter Alzheimer’s Association
www.alz.org/mglc

Caregiver stress test 
www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-stress-check.asp

Alzheimer’s Caregivers
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alzheimerscar

Family Caregiver Alliance 
www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp

Family & Caregiver Alliance: Caregiver College Video Series
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUjOarB8XUc&list=PLa1B8idpEiEplIAyH_swKvZvTQ9yAKH6t

Activities director – Staff member who oversees active programming in assisted living and skilled nursing care setting. The programming is designed to enrich the lives of residents by providing socialization, entertainment and relaxation, all while improving daily living skills.

Activities of daily living (ADL) – Routine tasks people perform daily without assistance. The six basic ADLs include: bathing, continence, dressing, eating, toileting and transferring (walking).

Age-associated memory impairment – Mild memory loss that increases as we age. It is a normal part of aging and should not be confused with forms of dementia.

Alzheimer’s Disease – The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms typically develop slowly and gradually worsen over time. While there is no cure for the condition, there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.

Assessment – A tool used to evaluate a resident’s care needs, based on the resident’s physical and psychological condition, as well as their ability to perform activities of daily living.

Assisted living – A care option that provides a range of personal and medical care within a home-like setting.

At-home care – Services that are provided in a person’s home. Examples include, but are not limited to, helping with everyday activities, home health care, and physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Caregiver – A person who cares for another person in need.

Caregiver stress – Emotional and/or physical strain brought on by the challenges of caregiving. Caregiver stress oftentimes may cause feelings of anger, anxiety, exhaustion, frustration, illness or sadness.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) – A trained and licensed nursing professional who helps people with healthcare needs, all under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or a licensed professional nurse (LPN).

Cognitive impairment – A diminished mental capacity affecting memory, thinking and judgment.

Dementia – A general term used to describe a progressive set of symptoms that affect the brain. Symptoms include memory loss; impaired thinking, problem-solving and communication and changes in behavior.

Discharge planner – A social worker or nurse who helps patients and their families with health care arrangements as they are released from the hospital.

Health care provider – Any person, organization or institution that offers health care services to clients.

Hospice – Care philosophy focused on physical, emotional and spiritual support for patients who are in the end stages of a terminal diagnosis. Hospice care also helps support the patient’s loved ones during this time.

In-home care – Care that occurs in a person’s home. It may be unpaid or paid care provided by loved ones, friends or professional caregivers. In-home care typically includes assistance with activities of daily living (ADL).

Licensed practical nurse (LPN) – A Certified nursing professional who provides basic bedside care under the direction of a registered nurse (RN) or physician.

Long-term care – Medical and nonmedical services designed to meet the needs of people who are unable to care for themselves for long periods of time.

Medicare – A health insurance program administered by the federal government and available to people who are age 65+, permanently disabled, or affected by kidney failure or long-term kidney disease.

Medicare-certified bed – A skilled nursing care facility bed that meets federal standards for Medicare patients.

Memory support – Specialized care that helps those diagnosed with dementia and other memory-related illness.

Occupational therapy – Therapy that assesses, treats and consults with patients whose abilities to manage the tasks of everyday living are threatened or impaired by physical illness or injury, psychosocial disability or developmental deficits

Personal assistance – In-home care that offers assistance with “activities of daily living,” such as getting out of bed, bathing, using the toilet, dressing, walking or eating.

Physical therapy – Therapy designed to relieve pain, restore maximum function, and prevent future injury or disability for patients who are recovering from illness or injury.

Registered nurse (RN) – A state-licensed nursing professional who has graduated from a formal nursing education program and passed a state-administered exam. RNs have completed more formal training than licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and have a wide scope of responsibility including all aspects of nursing care.

Rehabilitation – Physical, occupational and speech therapy services for those recovering from illness, injury or disease.

Respite care – Short-term support for caregivers and offered through care facilities. Respite care is designed to give caregivers time to refresh, while their loved one is being cared for by a skilled care professional.

Skilled nursing care – Round-the-clock comprehensive care provided in a home-like setting, and often including social activities and recreational opportunities.

Speech therapy – Therapy geared toward addressing conditions that affect language, communication, eating or swallowing.

Therapist – A health care professional who provides treatment to improve or prevent health conditions; the most common of these include occupational, physical or speech therapists.

Therapy – Specialized treatment of health conditions designed to restore or improve abilities, and reduce further deterioration or injury following a medical illness or injury.