Services
Tailored, comprehensive support for caregivers and individuals living with dementia
Going to appointments when you’re preoccupied and already exhausted from simply getting to your destination can be overwhelming. Taking stock of everything you need to do that day, ensuring all your concerns are heard and keeping track of the advice you receive – while your mind is always half alerted to the needs of your loved one and the other half is focused on all the other tasks you need to complete – this only adds to the frustration when you later try to recall all that was discussed. If this sounds familiar, consider having Joanne join you for your next appointment. She can provide an extra set of hands to help support the person with dementia, notes to catch anything you may miss and a shoulder to lean on when you feel you just can’t go alone.
Advocating on your behalf with current or new care providers – we can get you the answers and follow up that you need. We can relieve you of the hassle to schedule calls, worrying over a missed message or feeling like you’ve fallen through the cracks due to lack of contact. Joanne can ensure that the professional you are trying to reach knows you expect to be contacted with the information and answers you need. Of course, you will also receive a follow up report with anything learned from the call(s) and suggested next steps.
When a person living with dementia exhibits behaviour that is disruptive, destructive, or just simply not helpful – an exploration, discussion and careful observation can help identify potential triggers or causes. These insights combined with knowledge of the environment, the challenges of the person living with dementia and available resources, means we can provide direction, tools and strategies. If you choose – we can also offer direction or training for everyone affected by the behavior, fostering more harmonious interactions.
When communication is ineffective, confused or otherwise unclear and is causing difficulty for anyone involved in conversation – it may be due to a wide variety of reasons. Regardless of the reason, we can help to identify tools or new learning to make for easier, more enjoyable and more effective interactions.
A diagnosis of dementia brings many exhausting challenges, most of which revolve around coping with limitations and loss—such as changes in roles & loss of privileges, abilities, future plans, and social connections to name a few. For many caregivers and people living with dementia, the diagnosis can lead to magnified feelings of judgement, isolation and regret. It’s common for both of you to struggle with the negativity and get through another day wondering when you will find joy again especially when family or friends don’t really understand or know how to respond. It can feel like they are dismissive of your experience and that is wearisome at best and depressing at worst. At Alzheimers Help (AH), we understand the unique heartache of coping with the challenges of living with, and trying to manage, dementia. We can help you navigate these feelings without judgment or feeling like a burden. For although the changes and the losses are heavy – sedimentary even – there can also be many moments of love, laughter and tenderness. At AH, we want to help you to do more than cope, we want to help both of you find more enjoyment, value and meaning.
When taking care of someone with dementia, a big challenge can be finding enough time to get anything done – and although there is a lot of support out there – it is fragmented, limited, waitlisted and always changing. This can make it very difficult to access what you need.
Let me help you save time, reduce stress and share options by curating a personalized list about how local service providers and programs can help. Based on your needs, resources and your loved one’s abilities and interests, we can review options, and can illuminate the best way to get your voice heard, your needs recognized and the service(s) in place that you are entitled to.
Identifying abilities and strengths and accounting for difficulties can foster greater independence and can also make it more comfortable for a person living with dementia to join various social or recreational activities. When skills are recognized and put to use, it brings a sense of value – overcoming feelings of loss, helplessness and depression. Not only does this benefit your loved one immensely, it also eases your role as a caregiver because it returns a sense of equality and normalcy to your relationship.
Let us show you how to enjoy more meaningful time together and with others.
*For those who are concerned about someone who has dementia but is still managing to live alone at home. You may wish to have Joanne visit your loved one/friends home with you to discuss how they are coping and to start an assessment of what they may, or may not need, to stay safely at home for longer. We can work together to identify some of your main concerns and resources or tools that can help put your mind at ease. This can be your first step in creating a connection with an advocate and may make further assessments and introduction of services – when the time comes – a better experience.
Although each journey is different and each person will encounter a different set of deficits, proactively exploring the changes and challenges that may lie ahead and exploring the choices for support can put your mind at ease knowing that you have options. Planning ahead means that you can choose when, and with whom, you want to review the various avenues of support as well as determining what we need to do once they are chosen. Whether you are considering adaptations to your routine, travelling, adjusting the amount of personal care needed, sorting out power of attorney, making a living will or looking into retirement home or long term care options – we can explore options giving you reassurance and the peace of mind so that whatever may come, you are ready with options and that you have a plan.