Alzheimer's Learning Day Gives Millennials a Chance to Step Up

Currently, millennials make up 25 percent of family caregivers in the U.S., and the number of millennials caring for a parent or grandparent with Alzheimer's or other dementia related diseases must skyrocket to address a shrinking caregiver base.ⁱⁱ As the number of Alzheimer's diagnoses rises, the ratio of caregivers will shrink from 7:1 to 3:1 by 2050ⁱⁱⁱ, and millennials may be tasked with taking on increased caring responsibilities, looking after both aging parents and grandparents.^iv

"When we think of the family caregiver, we often picture a baby boomer responsible for caring for their elderly parent. But as the population ages, the responsibility of caregiving will increasingly fall on younger Americans," explained Jeff Huber, president and CEO of the Home Instead Senior Care network.

"Millennials are already starting to take on caregiving roles in their families, and as Alzheimer's diagnoses rise, it's essential that they fully understand the disease and are armed with the necessary information to effectively care for those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia."

As part of Alzheimer's Learning Day, a new website, AlzLearn.com, has been developed that includes links to various trainings designed to help educate society on how to help care for and create a welcoming community for those living with Alzheimer's or other dementias and their caregivers. Training options range from five- to thirty-minute courses for a variety of audiences, including business owners, first responders, family caregivers and more.

"The resources that are being provided through Alzheimer's Learning Day will not only give participants the opportunity to understand what it means to care for someone living with the disease and other forms of dementia," says Huber, "but the chance to simply be more compassionate and respectful when the day inevitably occurs when they meet someone living with the disease."

In advance of Alzheimer's Learning Day, Americans across the country are invited to register for a webinar on the Alzheimer's Learning Day website and visit Help For Alzheimer's Families to take the following steps to learn, educate and share about Alzheimer's and other dementias:

1.    Take the pledge

• Visit the Alzheimer's Learning Day website to take the pledge to participate in Alzheimer's Learning Day.

2.    Learn the symptoms

• Visit the Help for Alzheimer's Families website to learn more about the symptoms and signs of Alzheimer's and other dementias.  

3.    Read an article about Alzheimer's

• Visit the Help for Alzheimer's Families website to find articles about Alzheimer's.

4.    Watch and share the "I Will Remember You" video

• Visit the Help For Alzheimer's Families website and take the time to watch the "I Will Remember You" video.

5.    Take an E-Learning Class

• Visit the Help for Alzheimer's Families website to find an online Alzheimer's and dementia class that interests you.

While millennials will become caregivers for those with Alzheimer's in the near future, these are steps that anyone can take to become more informed about Alzheimer's and other dementias.

"It is important that people from all generations learn more about Alzheimer's and other dementias," said Diane Bovenkamp, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Affairs at BrightFocus Foundation, and invited expert panelist in the Alzheimer's Learning Day U.S. and Canada Professional Caregiver webinars taking place on September 21 and 26. "By educating ourselves about Alzheimer's and dementia, we can create a community of caregivers ready to face the disease."

Community members can view program resources and watch educational webinars with Alzheimer's care experts the day of and after Alzheimer's Learning Day on the Alzheimer's Learning Day website www.AlzLearn.com. Or, contact your local Home Instead Senior Care office for additional resources and to learn how their professional CAREGivers^SM may be able to assist. Find an office near you by visiting www.homeinstead.com/state/.

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care network provides personalized care, support and education to help enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Today this network is the world's leading provider of in-home care services for seniors, with more than 1,000 independently owned and operated franchises that are estimated to annually provide more than 50 million hours of care throughout the United States and more than 10 other countries. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ approximately 65,000 CAREGivers worldwide who provide basic support services that enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible. The Home Instead Senior Care network strives to partner with each client and his or her family members to help meet that individual's needs. Services span the care continuum from providing companionship and personal care to specialized Alzheimer's care and hospice support. Also available are family caregiver education and support resources. At Home Instead Senior Care, it's relationship before task, while striving to provide superior quality service.

ⁱ Alzheimer's Association, 2017 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE FACTS AND FIGURES http://www.alz.org/facts/ accessed June 15 2017  
ⁱⁱ Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Is Affecting Millennials http://www.alzheimersblog.org/2017/05/12/alzheimers-affecting-millennials/ accessed July 31 2017Association, 2017 ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE FACTS AND FIGURES http://www.alz.org/facts/ accessed June 15 2017   
ⁱⁱⁱ Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Key Facts http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/jchs_housing_americas_older_adults_2014_key_facts.pdf accessed Aug 1 2017 
^iv Caregiving.org, Dementia Caregiving in the U.S. http://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DementiaCaregivingFINAL_WEB.pdf accessed July 31 2017

SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care

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