Comfort Keepers Davie

EP #21: The Caregiver's Guide to Alzheimer's and Dementia

• Kristi Gurule

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Alzheimer's and dementia aren't just elderly diseases anymore. This eye-opening conversation with Kemar Brown from Comfort Keepers reveals how these conditions increasingly affect people as young as their 50s, creating new challenges for unprepared families.

The podcast delves into the emotional journey families face when witnessing a loved one transform from occasional forgetfulness to profound cognitive decline. Kemar shares powerful insights about how personality changes and loss of independence create dual burdens - the practical demands of caregiving alongside the heartbreak of watching someone you love become unrecognizable to themselves and others.

Drawing from personal and professional experience, the discussion offers practical guidance for those noticing early warning signs. From consulting physicians to implementing cognitive stimulation strategies, listeners gain actionable steps to potentially slow progression. The conversation highlights how maintaining physical and mental activity serves as both preventative measure and management technique for those already diagnosed.

Perhaps most valuable is the detailed breakdown of available resources, particularly the newly launched Medicare GUIDE program providing up to 90 hours of free annual in-home care for eligible individuals. Kemar walks through qualification requirements and application processes, offering a lifeline to overwhelmed caregivers seeking respite.

Beyond practical advice, this episode delivers a profound reminder about preserving dignity. "They were once normal, just like you and I," Kemar emphasizes, encouraging caregivers to remember the person behind the diagnosis by looking at old photographs and hearing stories of who they were before the disease.

Whether you're currently caring for someone with cognitive decline or concerned about potential symptoms in yourself or a loved one, this conversation provides both the practical roadmap and emotional compass needed to navigate these challenging conditions with compassion and effectiveness. Have you noticed concerning memory changes in someone close to you? Don't wait - early intervention makes all the difference.

Please visit our website for more information: https://www.comfortkeepers.com/offices/florida/davie/

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Comfort Keepers.

Speaker 2:

Davy podcast where we elevate the human spirit. Here's your host, christy Groulet.

Speaker 1:

Well, hello, hello, hello everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Comfort Keepers Davy podcast. Unfortunately, in case you haven't noticed, I am not Christy Grulay, but I'm Jeremy Wolfe, and today we're joined by Kamar Brown from the team at Comfort Keepers. And if you're out there and you've had a loved one, a family member, friends, somebody that has suffered from dementia, alzheimer's, you would know that these are no joking matter. Myself, my grandmother, actually suffered from Alzheimer's many years back and I experienced firsthand what that does to somebody.

Speaker 1:

And you know, it's really helpful to kind of look at these things through the lens of a caregiver, somebody that you know is on the ground dealing with this day to day. And that's really what we're going to get into today. We're going to talk about, you know, how to deal with these issues with your family members, your friends. We're going to give you some actionable tips, tricks, things that you can do, and then we're going to talk about resources that are available out there. So, kumar, good to see you again. My man, you ready to get into this. Thank you, good to see you.

Speaker 2:

Good seeing you too. Yes, for sure.

Speaker 1:

Let yes, for sure, let's get into it.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so let's start off, kamar. What would you say are some of the biggest misconceptions that people have around Alzheimer's and dementia? I think the biggest one, straight off the bat, is that it only affects old people, and by old I mean old is the term, old is relative, and by old I mean old is term, old is relative, but we're seeing it so rampant now, so common in persons younger in their 50s, early 60s and traditionally we were seeing it in older folks, you know, yes, it comes to my mind right when I think of these things because, like I said, my grandmother had that.

Speaker 1:

She was already an elderly woman at that point. You're not really thinking that people are getting this when they're younger. Why do you think it is that more and more young people I mean? We have better technology nowadays, better medicine. We understand these things presumably better.

Speaker 2:

Why do you?

Speaker 1:

think it is that more people are being affected by this at younger ages.

Speaker 2:

You know, I wish I knew, Jeremy. My thought would be I don't know, maybe it's the diet, maybe it's the food, I don't know, but for some reason we're seeing it affecting persons at a younger age.

Speaker 1:

You know, not too sure, but we're here to help, that's all I know the jury's still out on this stuff because nowadays, right everybody's plugged into electronics. Just constant dopamine, quick fix. Everything around our society is geared towards instant gratification and quick fix, so god only knows what that's going to do to the human mind. Certainly it can't be a positive thing be plugged in all the time. Yeah, lots going on there, man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's definitely not the greatest thing, but again we're seeing it in persons younger, so much younger but again we're here to help and we've been helping changing the lives of persons that we've come in contact with that are suffering from this disease, and it's yeah, it's not a great thing at all.

Speaker 1:

So, kamar, you're someone that is on the ground dealing with this stuff. Right, you're dealing with this day to day. What are some of the biggest challenges that you're seeing out in the field that families are facing when caring for those with dementia, alzheimer's?

Speaker 2:

It's a host of things, jeremy. It is. For one. It's seeing their family member, their loved one, their mom, their dad, their aunt, their uncle, progressing from just a little bit of memory lapse into full-blown Alzheimer's or dementia in sometimes a very short period of time. It's them changing. Their whole personality is changing. Essentially, they are becoming a child again, not being able to do anything for themselves, not remembering where they are, not remembering sometimes who these persons are, their loved one, and it's extremely challenging A lot of family members. It's very hard for them to adjust to these changes, especially when it's happening so fast, and it's very hard for them to accept it. So I think those are some of the most common things that we're running into just family members accepting, um, the diagnosis, or sometimes they they aren't even, uh, they haven't gotten a full diagnosis, but just seeing these changes in them, it's, it's sometimes very hard for them to accept, you know yeah, it can be very, very scary, difficult, challenging.

Speaker 1:

uh, so much to deal with, right, right, we all got our own stuff going on and then you have a loved one that's suffering like this and you got to deal with that on top of everything that's going on in life. So bring comfort keepers into the equation. What kind of support do you guys offer? Like I'm sitting out there, god forbid somebody my mother or father, somebody gets one of these situations, one of these diseases, and I pick up the phone, I call Comfort Keepers, I say I need some help with this. Like, what does that look like? Walk us through. What kind of support you provide over there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, great question. So, first and foremost, we would kind of get an idea of what is going on, the totality of what's happening with your loved one, to see if we are the right fit. Oftentimes we want to help, but if you're looking for things that we are not necessarily the right fit for, we would probably steer you in another direction. We'll help you nonetheless, but let's say we are coming on board to help you. You know, we'd find out what it is that's going on with your loved one and we would meet with you in person. Meet with them, get a feel of their personality, because that's a big part of what we do is sending a caregiver that's best suited for that person and individuals that we notice that are going through suffering from Alzheimer's dementia.

Speaker 2:

They oftentimes do not like change, they hate it. It's a big, big, big big thing for them. But it gets so overwhelming for the loved ones, for their family members, for their daughters, for their sons. They essentially want to be a child again and not be a caregiver, but their mother or whoever is suffering from this requires sometimes 24-hour care and they're unable to do that and it's overwhelming for them. So comfort keepers will come in to see. We essentially meet them and they're unable to do that and it's overwhelming for them. So comfort keepers will come in to see. We essentially meet them where they're at, whatever their needs are. They need us for a few hours to come in, help them with their daily living activities, help them shower, eat, dress, stimulate them cognitively. That's a big part of what we do playing board games with them, just being a companion to them. That has shown so much, you know, change in the clients that we service right now that are suffering from that.

Speaker 1:

Yes, speaking of likements, where like, like dorm laying dormant and not having activity leads to like you got to keep your mind stimulated, you got to keep engaged and isn't that something that you do? And I encourage folks out there, like, don't wait until it gets too late to deal with this stuff. Right, you got to stay active, you got to have a good diet, you got to do all these preventative measures so that you don't end up in cognitive decline, because, so, this is a lot of this stuff, I guess, is genetic. I'm not a doctor or anything, but there's so many different things that you could do. I mean, our bodies are our engines. Right, the better you take care of yourself, the less likely you're going to have to deal with this.

Speaker 1:

So, kumar, what if I'm noticing some decline in a loved one? If I'm noticing some decline in a loved one, maybe, again, like I said, one of my parents what are some things that I can start doing early on, as soon as I start to notice on a day-to-day basis, what are some tips, tricks, things that you've noticed that have worked to, at the very least, kind of like, stay the course of the development of these afflictions?

Speaker 2:

Well, first and foremost, I would say, contact your mother or father's primary care physician to see what's going on. If it's something greater than they can handle, I'm assuming, or I'm sure they'll refer you to a neurologist to do further tests to see, to get a certain diagnosis of what's going on with your loved one. Once that is set, you know that, okay, mom has early onset dementia, alzheimer's or whatever it is the next thing to do would to get them physically active. If they're not, and if they are continue doing so, and if you can step it up a little, that's even greater. Stimulate them, read to them, have them reading, just using their minds more. Again, as you said, if you lay dormant, you know that's not the greatest thing to do. It's only going to have them declining even faster.

Speaker 2:

And if you are unable to do these things on your own, that's where we come in. And again, we are extremely flexible, able to do these things on your own, that's where we come in. And again, we are extremely flexible. We are not in the business of forcing anyone to take us on for long periods of the day. We have clients who we visit them once or twice per week and that's all they need right now and as their situation changes, then we will adjust accordingly. But first and foremost, visit your primary care physician and if you're referred to a neurologist, just have that diagnosis, you know, set, so you know what's going on with your loved one, and then just seek some help, you know, from us, or, if you can do it yourself, yeah, really, I mean, this stuff is so, so frightening as somebody.

Speaker 1:

As I get older I'm, you know, say, older, right, I'm 45 now. But like how many of us have been out there, right? And like you go to the refrigerator and you open the door to get something and you're just like what the hell did I come here, for it's completely blackout. And then you're like, oh my God, am I starting to get dementia or whatever? And like just sometimes that stuff happens. Or even like the general garden variety brain fog, right, we're on here talking on the podcast, uh, and I think I'm gonna you know, I know what I'm gonna say.

Speaker 1:

And then all of a sudden I blank out um man, the other day I was driving home and I forgot where I was. I was in my community, like I've driven down the road a thousand times and I was like, for it was like a sheer panic set in. So I could only imagine what it's like to have that, you know, happen very, very frequently and have that in control. I mean it's got to be unbelievably scary. So tell us about the guide program. You mentioned that to me. What is it? Who is it for?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so the guide program is spearheaded by Medicare. Yes, so the guide program is spearheaded by Medicare and it was spearheaded to provide additional support to persons going through Alzheimer's dementia. Again, we're seeing it in persons of much younger ages compared to years ago. There are so many I don't remember the figures, but there are millions and millions of people suffering from this disease and persons undiagnosed. So I'm sure once information goes out and there's, you know, there's more information surrounded around Alzheimer's and dementia there are more people that will be, that will be going to get tested, because a friend of mine, her aunt, is showing signs of Alzheimer's but she is in the denial stage of what it could be, so she doesn't want to go to the doctor to get tested or checked. So, and there are a lot of persons like her, but diagnosed patients or persons suffering from this disease is in a million. So, with that said, the guide program is centered around them, just providing additional support. It is the guiding and improved dementia experience.

Speaker 2:

So, again, it's spearheaded by uh, medicare and it's four persons with the medicare parts a and b. That's the traditional medicare and it is also it's it's a respite care program. So so it's for persons that are their loved ones are providing care for them and their loved ones just need, you know, a little time off. It may be you don't have to be directly providing hands-on care If you are in another state and your mom is in Florida, you're living in Washington or wherever you are, but you are directly a part of booking her doctor's appointments or anything centered around her care. The guide program essentially would be for you, so it's one. They have to have Medicare Parts A and B and they have to be showing some signs of cognitive decline or a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or dementia.

Speaker 1:

Got it Now. Is the program resources for those or additional funding Like, if I have access to the guide program and I qualify for that, am I going to be able to access funding to hire a company such as Comfort Keepers to come in, or do they have their own resources in place? How does that typically work?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, great question. So yes, the guide program allows you to. Once you're qualified, it gives you free in-home care per year and every year that amount that you are awarded or rewarded is renewed per year. So now the program just got started officially July of this year, so it's pretty new. If you go on their website I think you'll see sometime last year but I think it was still in its beta stage and trial stages but this year it officially got kicked off.

Speaker 2:

So let's say, somebody applied and was accepted in the program. Dependent on their level of cognitive decline, they can be awarded anywhere from 30 to, I think, 90 hours of care per year. So it's not a lot when you look at it on a per year basis, on a yearly basis, but what it also opens up that person to is 24-hour access to a nurse and a host of other benefits once they're accepted in this program. And for the clients that we are utilizing this program, that we are servicing, they use it as supplemental hours to whatever they were already receiving. So it's not significant hours, no, but I'm assuming once the program grows, the hours will grow as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, for sure, and there's so many unbelievable programs and resources that are available out there and often the problem is there's a lot of difficulty and red tape and just it could be difficult to learn about these programs and get the information. So how does somebody access this? Is this like you go? I guess you go through the government website. You just file an application through there. Where's the best place to go and submit an application for the guide program?

Speaker 2:

So yes, you can apply from my knowledge on their website knowledge on their website but if you want to utilize the caregiving portion of this program, let's say you come to an agency like ours like Comfort Keepers and you're like, hey, we need some help.

Speaker 2:

My mom suffers from Alzheimer's or dementia. I'd find out what's going on with your mom and essentially it's pretty simple. I'll get her Medicare policy number, her date of birth, medicare policy number and that's about it. I'd submit it and they would see if she's eligible and once she's eligible an official introductory call would be scheduled with the program for them to tell you some more about it. And once everything is done and you will be notified when you can now schedule free in-home care and you can use all of those 90 hours at once or you could use it at four-hour increments until it's done and then the following year it will be renewed. So one you can apply directly online and if you apply directly through the guide program online and you want to utilize the caregiving portion, I think they will look to see what zip code you're in and see what companies like us are credentialed with them and kind of direct you and send you in that direction.

Speaker 1:

Right on and if somebody is listening out there and they have questions specifically about the guide program, could they contact Comfort Keepers. Could you help walk them through that process on your end.

Speaker 2:

Definitely definitely Give us a call. We'll be happy to help you, for sure.

Speaker 1:

So, kamar, what would be one thing that you wish people understood about caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia?

Speaker 2:

One thing that they are people as well and they were once normal. I think sometimes we forget that these people were normal, just like you and I. It's sometimes, and even for me, when I go to a client and I'm seeing them in their state. More often than not I didn't know them prior to them. You know suffering from this disease, and what I try to do sometimes is get pictures of them, hear stories of them in their former life, because it helps me to see who they were before this disease. So I think that's the one thing I would say for us to try and remember that they too were once normal, like us, living normal lives and, with that said, we should treat them as such. They need more personalized care now, but they're individuals like you and I, human beings like you and I, and should be treated as such.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I can only hope that for those that do suffer from these terrible afflictions, yeah, and I can only hope that for those that do suffer from these, these terrible afflictions, that they they're not like when you're struggling to find something like like, the more you grasp for it and the more you put pressure on yourself to find the thing, like when you start forgetting stuff, the more you suffer. So I can only hope that at some level, when somebody gets advanced enough in these stages, they're just kind of they're just there, right, they're not, they're not constantly wondering oh my God, who am I? They're just kind of existing in the present, Much like a, like a, like an animal, like a dog does I'm not trying to compare humans to dogs, but much like just like you're just there, Like you don't know, like ignorance is bliss in that case, and I know it's still tough for families, but I can only hope that that's the majority of the time for those that are affected by this, because you know the alternative is very scary. For sure, For sure. No, I do agree.

Speaker 1:

All right, Anything we missed. Anything else you want to touch up on or touch on before we wrap up here?

Speaker 2:

The only other thing I can think about was probably a week or two ago. I was just in the office making calls, responding to emails, and I got a call from this company that they are now running clinical trials centered around dementia and Alzheimer's. They did round one already and they're on round two now and it's a paid clinical trial. I've never heard of the company before. I didn't know they existed, but you know they said the participants of round one saw great results. I remember them saying there is a cure to Alzheimer's and dementia. And you know, yeah, they're running clinical trials now and I don't know if there's any truth to that.

Speaker 2:

But it got me excited because just seeing again what I mentioned earlier seeing someone before they started getting this disease and who they are now sometimes it leaves me almost in tears, to be honest. I I I remember coming in front of a client and she was. She was in her former life. She was so accomplished and to see who she was now it was it was not the the best thing to see at all. So I'm hopeful that there will be a cure for this disease in the near future. And you know, but for now, comfort Keepers is here to help anyone that's struggling with a loved one that's going through this, or if they themselves are going through it in early stages. Again, we will meet you wherever you are. If you need us for a few hours per week, that's where we'll come in Companionship, help you with all your daily living activities. We won't treat you as if you are a child or not a human. We'll just be there for support.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely All right, everyone. Well, thanks so much for tuning in. If you found this content useful, don't forget to like subscribe all that fun stuff. If you've had a personal experience, don't forget to like subscribe all that fun stuff. If you've had a personal experience with any of these topics, any of these matters, let us know in the comments, or let us know your biggest takeaway. We always love to get your feedback. Thanks again, everyone for tuning in and we will catch everyone next time on the next episode of the Comfort Keepers Daily Podcast. Everyone, take care, have a wonderful day, Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Comfort Keepers Davey podcast. For more information, visit comfortkeeperscom or call 954-947-7954.