Sitting in a caregiver support group, a woman looked around the room and silently guessed which attendees were the caregivers and which were the individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). When the participants introduced themselves, she was embarrassed to discover that her guesses were completely off. The more tired-looking individuals turned out to be the caregivers and those with AD were the ones who looked healthy and content.
This true story is a striking example of how AD impacts more than just the person with the disease. Many caregivers suffer from negative emotional and physical problems that often go unrecognized. Such health concerns, which include depression and high blood pressure, have an effect on balance at the workplace and relationships with extended family.
The Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC) is committed to advancing caregiver health research, conducting caregiver education, and raising awareness about caregiver well-being. The BU ADC reaches out to caregiver support groups and collaborates with local chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association to assess caregiver needs in the community. In addition, the BU ADC sponsors a number of caregiver-focused studies. For example, Home Safety Education is a study that provides education to caregivers to increase home safety for patients with dementia. Health Pathways measures how caring for a loved one with AD affects one’s physical and emotional health. CARE Plus teaches caregivers behavior management skills with the goal of improving well-being for both the individual with AD and the caregiver. New assessment tools gauging the patient’s well-being and the caregiver’s quality of life are being tested in the new BU ADC study, AD Care. If you care for someone with AD or a related dementia, you may be eligible to participate in these caregiver studies. For more information on any of these caregiver studies or for questions regarding local caregiver resources, please contact Stephanie Sikora at 617-414-1078 or sasikora@bu.edu.
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