'I am not alone:' How a California county is helping Hispanic family caregivers find peace

Daybreak is a respite care program that offers daytime services for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The affordable alternative to long-term care facilities provides seniors a place to go during the day where they can engage in activities that stimulate their minds. It also gives caregivers a needed short-term break from the oftentimes stressful and emotional work of care giving, to focus on their own needs and obligations. The programming ranges from exercise programs to music and art therapy. The staff also provides direct support to the caregivers, helping connect them to available of resources.

Well Spouse Association helps spouses manage the mental and physical challenges of caregiving. The nonprofit offers support groups, respite weekends that give caregivers time to take care of themselves and other responsibilities, and other resources. The relationships members build with each other help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. With just 20 chapters nationwide, many members travel long distances to access the support and services, though moving meetings online due to the coronavirus pandemic had the effect of expanding membership and several members have also started local chapters.

After taking care of her own parents, Paula Duren started “boot camp” sessions for caregivers to share available resources, tips for self-care, and support. Drawing on her experience as a psychologist, Duren started the nonprofit Universal Dementia Caregivers to build and run the workshops, which have moved to zoom sessions because of the COVID-19. The all-day sessions provide information ranging from financial advice to how to access state and local services to stress-reduction tips. The overarching message throughout is that caregivers must take care of themselves to take care of their loved ones.

A Chicago-based program called Caring Together, Living Better is aiming to increase support to family members acting as caregivers for the elderly in their lives by providing resources directly in their churches. Focused primarily on minority communities, this creative collaboration uses trained volunteers to provide resources to those in attendance.

House calls are not new to the medicine field, but they are becoming more predominant as doctors look for ways to expand access to those that aren't able to make it into an office. Focusing mostly on "disabled, chronically ill, elderly, and other at-risk populations," doctors are utilizing technological advancements to bring the care to the patient, a practice that also allows them a chance to assess their home situation.

In Ohio, the Liberty Center of Nursing of Mansfield is using personal iPods and music to help senior residents dealing with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Evidence has shown that music can help patients recall memories, shift mood, help cognitive function, and more - and patients at the Center are already responsive to the program.

More than five million Americans have Alzheimer’s or similar illnesses, and that number is growing as the population ages - without any immediate prospect of a cure, advocacy groups have begun promoting ways to offer people with dementia a comfortable decline instead of imposing on them a medical model of care, which seeks to defer death through escalating interventions. An Arizona nursing home offers new ways to care for people with dementia.

A small, participant-led weekly arts and crafts group in Barrow has helped around 15 men living with mental health conditions, dementia, and autism build social connections and overcome anxiety-related challenges.

The Dallas County deflection program diverts low-level, non-violent offenders (many experiencing homelessness and mental illness) away from jail and toward voluntary mental health, substance abuse, and stabilization services. The program served 918 people last fiscal year and started a newer eight-bed pilot that connected 11 clients with services in its first month of operation.

To address mental health challenges faced by first responders, a variety of organizations throughout the state are using Native Hawaiian cultural healing practices, such as lomilomi massages and ocean-based healing. Participants in the programs report reductions in PTSD symptoms, less stress and deeper peer connections.