Care Partner Support 10 Week Program
At MemoryCare.Health, we know that caring for a person living with dementia is more than a one-person task. Our slogan is “It Takes a Team”. That is why we developed the Care Partner Support 10 Week Program which provides tools and resources to individuals who support a person living with dementia. The program is a collection of services, paid for by Medicare and delivered to you in your home or wherever you are most comfortable. There are several components which include:
Week 1 - Evaluation
- An evaluation from a Nurse Practitioner who has received advanced dementia training. This includes a health history, medication review and an evaluation of past treatments.
- A thorough dementia assessment to identify areas of stress or concern the care partners may be having. Additionally, this assessment helps identify if there is a cognitive impairment, the severity of the impairment (if one has been identified), home safety evaluation and much more.
- A plan of care that offers education and strategies to help manage challenging behaviors.
- Community resources which may include:
- Funding to help pay for care and respite services
- Support groups
- Legal council
- Adult day care programs
- A copy of the AlzBetter Dementia Care At Home manual is included
Week 2 - Review Results
- A certified dementia specialist/coach is assigned to you. Your coach will discuss your most difficult challenges and is there to offer ongoing support once the assessment has been completed. Interventions aimed and relieving care partner stresses are implemented.
- A follow-up visit via telehealth from your Nurse Practitioner to provide
- A dementia specific diagnosis if possible. This would include the type or types of dementia (Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body, Vascular etc.) and a baseline stage of dementia is established.
- Discuss any behavioral health findings such as depression, anxiety or fear.
- Review of labs and order appropriate medications if required.
Week 3-10 - Support Team
- Your Nurse Practitioner will discuss with you the services available and if appropriate and agreed to by you, prescribe any or all of the following:
- Physical Therapy – If falls, balance issues or pain are present
- Occupational Therapy – Care partner education, home safety equipment and other OT services
- Speech Therapy – Addressing communication issues as well as swallowing concerns
- Clinical Dementia Specialist/Coaching support
- Regular check-ins either in person or via phone/video chat
- Support for ongoing or new behavioral challenges such as wandering, agitation, sleep, bathing and much more.
- Support for care partner stress, anxiety or depression from a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- One-on-one private and personalized sessions either in your home or via telehealth to help care partners manage the stresses that often come with the role of being a care partner to a person living with dementia. Care partner health (both physical and mental) is of utmost importance and a major part of the Care Partner Support Program.
- Topics discussed but not limited to:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief
- Guilt
- Anger
- Self-care
- Fear
- Topics discussed but not limited to:
Ongoing - As Needed
- Ongoing support as needed. This can be:
- Continued meetings with your Clinical Dementia Specialist/Coach
- Continued meetings with you LCSW
