Family Caregivers Exchange Tips, Share Stories to Ease Alzheimer's Losses

As the number of Americans with Alzheimer's continues to increase to an estimated 5.7 million, so do the many relatives caring for friends and family members, reports National Public Radio . The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) has been stressing the need for better caregiver support through a national tour. At these events, Alzheimer's scientists and clinicians offer guidance on a number of topics, including how to ensure safety for persons at home, care planning, and entertaining people with memory loss. The foundation promotes in-person and phone support groups, and a 2014 study found even virtual support systems have shown some efficacy at mitigating loneliness, stress, and depression. Among the AFA's recommendations is feeding people with Alzheimer's one food at a time, marking rooms in the house with signs to avoid confusion, reminding a person with Alzheimer's to use the toilet, sticking with familiar destinations when traveling, watching for coughing when eating, and scheduling overnight stays at a memory-care clinic so the caregiver gets some rest. "We want to do everything we can to avoid caregiver burnout," says AFA CEO Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.