In this presentation, Tom Knox - founder of CareFamily.com - talks about life with Alzheimer's. This was originally used for a webinar to help families who have seniors with Alzheimer's. This can also be very useful for care providers who are assisting in giving care to someone with Dementia or Alzheimer's. The presentation is based out of a lot of personal experience that CareFamily families have dealt with as they have had to learn to cope with Alzheimer's. Life with Alzheimer's can be very challenging. You will be able to get a great general overview of some things you can do today to make your situation better. To get more in depth information, you should look into the resources we mention at the end of the presentation. Our hope is that the presentation serves as a great resource for you as you learn how to cope with Alzheimer's.

1. Life With
Alzheimer’s
Presented by:
Tom Knox
November 19, 2013
CareFamily.com

2. What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes
problems with memory, thinking and
behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly
and get worse over time, becoming severe
enough to interfere with daily tasks.
CareFamily.com

3. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Basics
• Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia
o Accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases
• Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging
o Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset
Alzheimer’s, which often appears when someone is in their
40s or 50s
• Alzheimer's worsens over time
o Progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually
worsen over a number of years
• Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms
are available and research continues
o Worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the
disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing
CareFamily.com

4. Some Quick Facts from The Alzheimer’s Association

5. Living with Alzheimer’s: Changes in Behavior
• Aggression and Anger
• Suspicion and Delusions
• Anxiety and Agitation
• Sleep Issues and Sundowning
• Memory Loss and Confusion
• Repetition
• Depression
• Wandering and Getting Lost
• Hallucinations
CareFamily.com

6. Top Five Tips for Caregiving
1.
Try not to take behavior personally
2.
Remain patient and calm
3.
Explore pain as a trigger
4.
Don’t argue or try to convince
5.
Accept behaviors as a reality of the disease
and try to work through it
CareFamily.com

7. My Experience with Alzheimer’s
• My paternal grandmother and my wife’s
grandmother has Alzheimer’s
• Referred to as “hardening of the arteries”
• Strange behavior at first
• Became more difficult and unreasonable
• Both were cared for by family caregiver
CareFamily.com

8. Excellent Resources
•
Alzheimer’s Association
o www.alz.org
o www.communityresourcefinder.org
o Offices / Chapters throughout the U.S.
o 24-Hour Helpline: 1-800-272-3900
•
Carefamily.com
o Info.CareFamily.com
o Videos, webinars, white papers and articles
•
Online education
o Alz.org
✓ E-learning workshops, training and
certification, books and DVDs
o CareFamily.com
✓ Free courses; certification

9. CareFamily.com makes it easy for you to find, hire, and pay
the right caregiver.

10. Our Story … Your Story
“ My beloved grandmother was neglected in
a facility. It inspired me to start an agency
that successfully hired and cared for
thousands of seniors at home. I have
realized that there are great caregivers who
want to build their careers at a livable wage.
Our goal is to provide you great career
options with the best families in America.”
- Tom Knox, Founder
Held by my great grandmother …
4 Generations of my family.

11. Visit us at:
www.CareFamily.com
CareFamily.com