We originally shared this as a newsletter! Get more, direct to your inbox.
About a third of the U.S. population — nearly 70-million people — care for loved ones, many of whom are facing cognitive decline due to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
If we don’t strengthen the support we give caregivers through our healthcare infrastructures, we risk falling into a cycle.
Dementia caregivers have been shown to have a higher risk of experiencing cognitive decline earlier in life.
This is largely attributed to the chronic stress of taking care of ageing parents while also juggling a career, raising a family, and other weighty responsibilities.
Caregivers can mitigate some of this stress by practicing self-care. Many don’t, because there can be a degree of guilt in taking care of oneself while also being responsible for someone who can’t necessarily do the same.
But, to quote something Dr. Natali Edmonds said on our latest podcast episode, ‘Your Brain On… Caregiving’:
“We have to start reframing how we view caring for ourselves. Caring for ourselves is not just for ourselves. Sometimes I like to refer to ‘self-care’ as a ‘life care’. It’s caring for life — your life, and your loved one’s life The healthier you are, the better you can be for everybody else.
“I always say: great dementia care cannot ignore the caregiver. Ultimately, I do want to help the person with dementia. That’s how I got started. But I’m doing it through the caregiver.”
Natali Edmonds founded ‘Dementia Careblazers’, an incredible platform for any caregiver looking for support, guidance, and resources.
By reaching out to their family, friends, or people in their community, caregivers can find time to improve aspects of their lifestyle which influence neurodegenerative risk factors.
Geriatric integrative psychiatrist Dr. Helen Lavretsky highlighted quality sleep as something vitally important for caregivers to focus on:
“The first thing that I try to do with caregivers is to have them improve their sleep. Seven to nine hours, without interruption, would be probably 50% protective of every other problem.”
Podcast Guests
Dr. Natali Edmonds
Geropsychologistand founder ofcaregiver support platform Dementia Careblazers
Dr. Helen Lavretsky
Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, leading researcher in geriatric psychiatry and benefits of meditation
Video of the Week: Managing caregiver stress with Dr. Natali Edmonds
Dr. Natali Edmonds, founder of Dementia Careblazers, discusses the brain health effects of caregiver burden, and how mitigating those stresses can be beneficial for both caregivers and those they’re caring for.
Recipe of the Week: Lentil Tofu Rolls
So, so tasty, and packed with proteins, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and folate. Get rolling!
Science of the Week: Caregiving for Family and Friends — A Public Health Issue
According to statistics published by the CDC, more than half of surveyed caregivers said they believed a decline in their own health impaired their ability to look after the person they were caring for.
“Caregivers are at increased risk for having multiple chronic diseases as they may neglect their own personal health needs while providing care to others.
“53.4% of caregivers aged 65 years and older have two or more chronic diseases compared to 34.8% caregivers aged 45 to 64 years.”
This week’s brain teaser
This week’s puzzle is a crossword, with clues based on our podcast, Your Brain On… Caregiving!
