Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

348 Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness
Table 17.1
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OLDER PERSONS WITH
DEMENTIA AND THEIR CAREGIVERS (Continued)
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS GOAL RECOMMENDATION
Take Care of Yourself n Take care of yourself by fi nding a good
listener to hear your thoughts and feelings
about the event.
n Find moments to breathe, meditate, and
refl ect.
Disaster Preparedness. Updated November 2007. Printed with permission. Copyright ©
2007 Alzheimer’s Association. All rights reserved. This is an offi cial publication of the Alzheimer’s
Association but may be distributed by unaffi liated organizations and individuals.
Such distribution does not constitute an endorsement of these parties or their activities by
the Alzheimer’s Association. 1-800-272-3900/www.alz.org
situation is very important. Table 17.1 outlines some suggestions for
preparedness from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Disaster Preparedness From the Caregiver’s Perspective
Most discussions related to dementia usually mention the caregiving dyad
or family system providing care. Usually there is one primary caregiver,
often a spouse or adult child and most often a daughter. Because age is
the greatest risk factor for AD, the spousal caregiver is often an older person
as well and may be coping with the medical, sensory, and psychological
challenges of aging. However, it is important to keep in mind that 10%
of all persons with Alzheimer’s or related disorders are under the age of
65, usually in their 40s, 50s, or early 60s (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005).
This form of the disease is referred to as younger-onset Alzheimer’s.
Under the best circumstances, caregivers experience increased rates
of stress and depression and require more doctors’ visits. The duration of
the caregiving, combined with the excruciating complexity of the tasks required
to manage the care of a relative with AD, create high levels of caregiver
burden. Frequently, this caregiver burden manifests as an emotional
response and may involve a host of feelings including grief, rage, and profound
sadness associated with witnessing the decline of the loved one. All
of these factors contribute to the stress of caregiving, which results in a