Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap: Messy Middle Steps 11-17 / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
The Caregiver's JourneyShow Notes
Have you moved beyond the initial steps of your caregiving journey and now find yourself needing to take more control while your loved one still believes they can do most things independently? Are you noticing that simple tasks are becoming increasingly challenging for them, yet they resist your help? You’re not alone! You’ve entered what we call the “messy middle” stage of your caregiving journey.
We created for you the comprehensive, 20-step caregiving journey roadmap guide, Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap
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Full Show Notes
Additional Resources Mentioned
Messy Middle
First Steps - You recognize it’s time to assert more control
11. Focus on safety.
Listen to these podcasts or read these blogs. Home Alone - Hear about the deal breakers for living home alone: 21 minute TCJ podcast: 6. Home Alone TCJ blog: 6. Home Alone. Medication - Understand strategies to safely manage medication: 20 minute TCJ podcast: 20. Medication Management TCJ blog: 20. Medication Management. Home Safety - Find approaches to the basics of home safety: 25 minute TCJ podcast: 7. Home Safety TCJ blog: 7. Home Safety Wandering - Learn ways to manage three types of wandering: outside, inside and during the night. 20 minute TCJ podcast: 4. Wandering TCJ blog: 4. Wandering.
12. Continue to prioritize your self-care.
Understand how to approach the realities of self-care: 23 minute TCJ podcast: 27. The Realities of Caregiver Self-Care TCJ blog: 27. The Reality of Caregiver Self-Care.
13. Educate yourself on activities of daily living (ADLs).
Prepare for changes in your loved ones ability to manage their ADLs. Listen to these podcasts or read these blogs on activities of daily living: 26 minute TCJ podcast: 9. Preparing for Incontinence TCJ blog: 9. Preparing for Incontinence 21 minute TCJ podcast: 14. Bathing and Dressing TCJ blog: 14. Bathing and Dressing 21 minute TCJ podcast: 15. Personal Care e.g. brushing teeth, trimming hair TCJ blog: 15. Personal Care 21 minute TCJ podcast: 16. Eating and Drinking TCJ blog: 16. Eating and Drinking.
14.Create a Care Plan - at minimum a Family Emergency Plan.
25 minute TCJ podcast: 33. How to Create a Care Plan TCJ blog: 33. Creating a Care Plan.
Messy Middle - Continued
Second Steps - It’s time for more support
15. Start or increase leveraging dementia/adult day programs.
Community resource finder: Select Community Services and choose Adult Day Centers for your search.
16. Start thinking about professional help.
Educate yourself: Evaluate continuing care communities (even if you never plan to use one) just in case. 33 minute TCJ podcast: 28. Home and Community Living Options TCJ blog: 28. Home and Community Living Options. Understand the types of paid caregivers: 26 minute TCJ podcast: 32. Hiring a Paid Caregiver TCJ blog: 32. Hiring a Paid Caregiver. Find an organization to help. Search online: ‘Senior Care Advisor’ + ‘your area’. Look for options yourself. Go to the Community Resource Finder sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP.
17. Continue your education.
Take the Savvy Caregiver Advanced training (this can be taken in-person or virtually). Delusions: 38 minute TCJ podcast: 23. Delusions TCJ blog: 23. Delusions. Incontinence: 26 minute TCJ podcast: 10. Incontinence Begins TCJ blog: 10. Incontinence Begins.
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More from The Caregiver's Journey
When someone gets a diagnosis of dementia, there are two people who need to be cared for: the person living with dementia and you, the primary caregiver.” Nancy Treaster
Do you leave your loved one’s doctor’s appointments feeling intimidated or confused instead of empowered? Do you wish you had a clearer role in shaping their care? Many caregivers feel this way, and there is a better way to approach these visits.
Did your loved one recently receive a diagnosis of dementia? Have you already worked through the first six steps of the Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap? If so, you’ve built a solid foundation, and it’s time to keep going.
“There’s no perfect option out there, and there’s no community that’s going to check every single box.” — Kelly Graffius
"Two words have been the foundation of every decision I made across all of my caregiving roles — safe and happy. Before every choice, I would ask, does this help my loved one be safe? And does this support them being happy?" — Sue Ryan