A Caregiver's Bill of Rights (author unknown)

• To take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my relative.
• To seek help from others even though my relative may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
• To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things just for myself.
• To get angry, be depressed and express other difficult feelings occasionally.
• To reject any attempt by my relative (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt, anger or depression.
• To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance for what I do from my beloved one for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
• To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my relative.
• To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my relative no longer needs my full-time help.
• To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired older persons in our country, similar strides will be made toward aiding and supporting caregivers.
• To:
  __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

(Add your own rights to this list and read to yourself everyday)

Printable Copy of the Caregiver's Bill of Rights

Free Telephone Help Lines for Dementia Caregivers

Both the Alzheimer's Association and Alzheimer's Foundation of America offer telephone help lines to answer questions and offer advice to family and professional caregivers. Their lines are staffed by licensed social workers and other knowledgeable professionals, and no question is too big or too small. They can help with:

• Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias
• Managing medications and understanding treatment options
• Caregiving skills and finding the best professional care
• Legal and financial planning
• Decisions around living-arrangements
• Resolving a crisis
• Referrals to local resources in your community

24-hours per day 7-days per week Interpreters in over 140 languages		9AM – 5PM (EST) Monday – Friday
1-800-272-3900		1-866-232-8484

Alzheimer's Support Groups and Message Boards On-Line

One of the most serious issues facing Alzheimer's family caregivers is managing the stress that comes from taking care of your loved one. Using on-line support groups (or message boards or discussion forums) is a great way to connect with others who understand what you are experiencing and who can offer practical tips for dealing with specific situations. Participating in on-line forums gives you a chance to get help for yourself and to offer help to others.

There are hundreds of online support groups with some having more activity than others. Three of our favorites have a lot of participation by family caregivers:

• Alzheimer's Association
• MDJunction
• Caring.com

Visit Alzheimer's On-Line Support Groups (click logo)

Alzheimer's Care Coordination On-Line

One of the most common things you hear from family and friends is, "What can I do to help." With Lotsa Helping Hands you now have an easy, and effective response, "Give me your e-mail address."

Lotsa Helping Hands is a free, web-based caregiving coordination service that enables you to easily enlist family, friends, and neighbors who want to help. With this service, you create a group calendar for scheduling tasks such as checking on your loved one, cooking a meal, or providing transportation to a medical appointment. An e-mail automatically goes out to your volunteers, so one of them can sign up.

With this service, you can also securely share vital medical, financial, and legal information with designated family members and share photos and messages with a broader group.

Visit Lotsa Helping Hands (click image)