The Role of A Dementia Support Group In Dementia Care
Providing dementia care is challenging. Many caregivers are family members. They often have little training or preparation. Dementia caregiver support groups provide an emotional outlet. They offer a social group and educational resources.
Support groups are beneficial to more than the caregiver. When support groups help caregivers, they also help dementia patients. If you care for a family member with dementia, you want to provide the best care. You can provide better care and improve their health when you take care of yourself.
In this blog, we’ll answer questions about how and why dementia support groups are vital to good dementia care:
- What are dementia caregiver support groups?
- What role do caregivers play in dementia care and treatment?
- What happens when dementia caregivers don’t receive adequate support?
- How do dementia patients benefit when their caregivers participate in support groups?
- How can caregivers get the most out of a support group?
Caregivers for family members of dementia benefits can help themselves and their loved ones by joining support groups. Check if you have free access to Trualta’s support groups.
What Is A Dementia Support Group?
A dementia support group is a small group of caregivers and family members of people with dementia. One goal of the group is to provide a safe, supportive environment for sharing experiences.
Another goal of caregiver support groups is to educate the participants. A trained facilitator typically leads groups. These individuals provide information and resources specific to dementia and caregiving.
Caregivers in a support group learn skills and dementia facts from the facilitator. They learn practical tips from their caregiving peers. They have a chance to share their own experiences and challenges in a safe place.
The Role Of Family Caregivers In Dementia Care
Healthcare plans often overlook caregivers. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are essential, but caregivers have a big role to play.
Caregivers spend the most time with patients. They provide day-to-day care and support. They help their loved ones dress, eat, take medications, and stay clean and healthy.
Caregivers are essential members of the care team. How they cope with caregiving duties is important. It matters for their own health and wellness. Their ability to cope also affects the care they give to their loved ones. These are some examples of how caregivers directly affect the health of their loved ones:
- Symptoms & changes. Caregivers spend a lot of time with their loved ones with dementia. They notice changes in symptoms and cognitive abilities. Doctors only see patients once in a while. They might not notice subtle changes.
- Communicating symptoms. Caregivers communicate with doctors and nurses. Dementia patients aren’t always able to share their symptoms or concerns. Caregivers ensure doctors get vital information about their patients.
- Daily health needs. Caregivers help their loved ones stay healthy every day. They provide healthy meals, opportunities for safe exercise and socializing, and help their loved ones with hygiene tasks.
- Accident prevention. Dementia patients are at higher risk for accidents. They get lost easily. Caregivers keep them safe by supervising their activities.
What Happens When Caregivers Don’t Have Support
Family caregivers are at risk for chronic stress, and mental health symptoms. They’re also less likely to take care of their physical health compared to non-caregivers. Lack of support is harmful to caregivers. It also harms dementia patients.
Dementia care and treatment suffer when caregivers don’t receive good support. Dementia patients may even be at risk for harm. These are some of the potential risks to care recipients when their caregivers are stressed or burned out:
Caregiving Mistakes & Injuries
Caregivers may unintentionally injure their loved ones when they lack the appropriate knowledge or skills. For example, medication errors are easy to make. Lack of knowledge about medications can lead to mistakes. Even caregivers who understand medications make mistakes when they’re tired or burned out.
Even non-medical tasks, like bathing or cooking, can become harmful to the care recipient. If the caregiver doesn’t understand their limitations, they might allow them to do too much. For example, they might misjudge their loved one’s ability to bathe unassisted, leading to a slip and fall injury. Overworked caregivers can also make errors in judgment, leading to an accident or injury.
Elder Abuse
Abuse of older adults and those with cognitive impairment is unfortunate, but it happens. Having dementia is a risk factor for experiencing elder abuse. Caregivers unprepared for their duties or who feel overwhelmed are more likely to commit elder abuse. They may take out negative feelings on their care recipients.
Neglect
An indirect form of abuse is neglect. A caregiver who is not properly supported may intentionally or unintentionally neglect a dementia care recipient.
Most people don’t want to neglect their loved ones. But, they might not provide enough care if they don’t completely understand the individual’s limitations or disabilities. This is neglect, and the health of the patient suffers.
Mental health symptoms, like depression, can also interfere with appropriate care. Depression or distress impairs a caregiver’s ability to judge what their loved one needs.
Family Conflict
Overburdened family caregivers don’t always have healthy relationships with their care recipients. They may also struggle to relate to other family members, leading to conflict.
Conflict among caregivers and between caregivers and dementia patients can negatively impact their care. It can cause mental distress but also neglect or mistakes with care. For example, two family members might argue over the care schedule and miss their time slots. This could leave the care recipient alone and in a dangerous situation.
How Do Caregiver Support Groups Help Dementia Patients?
Caregiver support groups are designed and run for caregivers, but patients benefit too. Support groups help lower the risk of neglect, elder abuse, accidents, and mistakes that harm patients. They educate and inform caregivers, empowering them to provide good care.
Improve Caregiver Competence, Skills & Problem-Solving
This is one of the most important reasons support groups improve dementia care. Most caregivers are family members. They haven’t received caregiving training. Many have no previous experience with dementia.
Caregiver support groups led by trained individuals educate participants. They provide dementia-specific information. They may even provide skills training.
The participants educate each other as well. They share challenges and how they overcame them. These are great learning experiences for new caregivers. They help them avoid mistakes and develop important problem-solving skills.
Navigating The Healthcare System
Caregivers are often responsible for navigating healthcare services. This can be difficult, especially for new caregivers with little experience. It’s an important task, though. Dementia patients usually can’t reliably make or keep appointments, pay bills, or communicate with insurance companies.
A support group provides caregivers with practical tips for these tasks. Participants and the facilitator share caregiver resources. Your loved one will get better care and treatment if you can successfully navigate the healthcare system.
Complementing Treatment Plans
Dementia treatment is comprehensive. It includes a team of medical professionals and specialists: primary physicians, neurologists, geriatricians, nurses, and more. Non-medical professionals, such as family caregivers, are also important for treatment.
Support groups can be important in an overall treatment plan. They provide education, information, and skills to improve caregiving. Good caregiving complements the medical treatment provided by physicians. It means patients get the medications they need and doctors get essential updates on patient symptoms and care.
Delaying Nursing Home Placement
Studies have shown that effective caregiver support delays placement in a nursing home. Patients usually want to stay at home as long as possible. The loved ones who care for them often want this, too.
The care recipient is less likely to be able to stay at home if the caregiver cannot cope. Institutionalization usually happens earlier if caregiver stress is high.
On the other hand, individuals can delay this transition with good caregiver support. A support group can help a caregiver manage their responsibilities. It teaches them how to provide better care and how to care for themselves. All of this extends the time a loved one is able to stay in the home.
How To Get The Most Out Of Dementia Support Groups
If you are a caregiver, it’s important to find a good support group to join. Talk to your loved one’s medical team or use resources like the Alzheimer’s Association to find a list of local groups.
Joining a group is only the first step. Follow these tips to ensure you and your loved one get useful benefits from the group:
- Find a group led by a trained facilitator for the best information.
- Attend meetings regularly. You’ll get more out of a group when you spend time getting to know the other caregivers.
- Rely on other family members to take over care, so you can attend.
- Listen to other members of the group.
- Share your own feelings and experiences.
- Ask questions and request resources that will help you be a better caregiver.
- Give a group a chance. If you’re not sure about a group, attend a few meetings before you decide to stay or try another.
- If you can’t find a local group, try a virtual support group.
Caregiving is a big responsibility. Dementia support groups make caregiving a little easier. This leads to better care for the dementia patient. Your loved one will benefit when you participate in a support group.
References:
