Dementia Care: Ask About Support for the Caregiver, Too.

Resources

When someone you love is living with dementia, it’s easy for every conversation to focus on what they need next. The appointment. The medication list. The change in routine.

Meanwhile, the person keeping all of that moving may need help as well. That deserves a place in the conversation.

Florida’s Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, or ADI, includes caregiver support and respite services delivered through the state’s Area Agencies on Aging. The Department of Elder Affairs lists counseling, support groups, training, case management, and several forms of respite.

When you contact your local agency, describe what you need help managing. Is it time away from caregiving? Help understanding changes? Someone to explain the available services? Ask what’s offered locally, how to apply, and whether there’s a wait.

Florida also has a network of Memory Disorder Clinics that provide diagnostic and referral services, along with caregiver education. The ADI page links to the clinic locator. Before arranging a visit, ask what records to bring and how the appointment process works.

It may help to write down the questions that get lost during a busy appointment—including the ones about how you’re doing as a caregiver.

Being committed to someone doesn’t make you available every hour of every day. Ask about support while you have room to plan for it. You don’t have to wait until you’ve run out of steam to find out what’s available.

CareOne Connected provides respite services so caregivers can take a break, keep their own appointments, or have some time that isn’t organized around someone else’s needs. Tell us what support you’re looking for through our Request Services page. We’ll talk with you about your needs and whether our services are a fit.

Florida Department of Elder Affairs: Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative — Source date not stated.