Better Dementia Care - Focusing on the person and not their disability

In this episode on the Living with Alzheimer's podcast, Christoph interviews Nicole Brackett, Director of Care Delivery and Quality for Homewatch CareGivers. They discuss the many services Homewatch CareGivers provides to families, especially those caring for a family member with dementia. Nicole describes the importance of personalized care plans, as well as the culture-shift her organization is embracing by focusing on the person and not their disability. Nicole and Christoph discuss examples of a person-centered approach to care partnerships.They go on to discuss how families can distinguish between care that can be provided in the individual’s home, and when a care community may be the better fit. And Nicole outlines the Five Rs of Caregiving (Remain calm, Respond to feelings, Reassure, Remove yourself to gain composure, and Return fully when the person you’re caring for has calmed) to help caregivers sustain quality care without burning out.The episode wraps up with conversation about a free resource for caregivers, called Pathways To Well-Being With Dementia from Dementia Action Alliance, as well as a caregiver certification program that Homewatch CareGivers is developing with Dr. Al Power.