Resources
Content with Topic Health and Wellness Services .
Resources
What to Know About Dementia Screening and Assessment Tools
If you’re a family member, friend or caregiver who suspects a loved one might have dementia, it’s important to know about cognitive screening and assessment tools. Since there is no one biological marker or blood test to pinpoint dementia, cognitive tests help doctors evaluate the state of your loved one’s memory, recall, language recognition and ability to follow instructions. If you plan to bring your loved one to a doctor, a combination of tests may be used to screen your loved one for dementia. And, if you are hesitant to consult a doctor just yet, many of these tests include questions that you can try asking your loved one yourself to help you confirm your suspicions.Â
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Annual Caregiving Conference: Engaging Caregivers in Evidence-Based Programs
The conference explores successes and challenges in the dissemination of evidence-based programs to family and friend caregivers. Keynote speaker, Erin Long, MSW, Team Lead, Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative of the Administration for Community Living, discusses experiences with engaging caregivers in programs and services, along with marketing strategies. Presentations also highlight experiences of organizations engaging caregivers and delivering evidence-based programs, including strategies to overcome barriers that keep caregivers from enrolling in support programs, and lessons learned through their marketing efforts.
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Caring for Loved Ones with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia
Caring for a loved one with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD) already presents a unique set of challenges from those faced by most caregivers. When a loved one with IDD presents with changes in behavior, memory and sometimes mobility, those challenges are then joined with the challenges of being a dementia caregiver—and can often feel confusing, overwhelming and at times even too much to handle.
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Helping Older Adults Live Well with Age-Related Vision Loss
Changes in vision are common in older adults. According to statistics from the American Foundation for the Blind, over 6.1 million Americans aged 65 and older experience some form of vision loss. Loss of vision can be overwhelming for a loved one, especially since it can affect many different parts of life from the ability to drive safely to being able to take part in hobbies like reading or doing jigsaw puzzles. However, thanks to improved treatments and assistive devices, there are options we can explore to make it much easier for loved ones to preserve as much of their vision as possible and continue to live safely and independently at home.
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Evidence-Based Programs: Why They Matter for Dementia Caregivers
 Caregivers for loved ones with dementia are familiar with the effort, dedication and time needed to provide quality care. It’s next to impossible to do on one’s own, yet asking for help and finding resources isn’t always easy. Even though it feels at times like there’s a long list of programs, services and caregiver resources out there, it may still feel like there’s nothing that fits your individual needs at the moment you need it. And even if there is, how can you know the program or service is reliable, high-quality or will even work to help you and your loved one in the first place?
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