Don't Ignore Signs of Caregiver Stress

Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease can cause depression, anger and irritability, in addition to taking a physical toll that results in exhaustion and sleeplessness. These are real issues caregivers shouldn't ignore.

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. The Alzheimer's Association offers a number of resources to help caregivers manage stress:

• The Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Notebook offers tips for care and planning for the future, as well as a list of resources to use when additional information is needed. To learn more or purchase the Caregiver Notebook, visit www.alz.org/caregivernotebook.
• Caregiver Stress Check, an interactive quiz that helps caregivers to identify symptoms of stress and provides a tailored list of helpful referrals and other support. Take the quiz at www.alz.org/stresscheck.
• Alzheimer's Association CareSource™, an easy-to-use, one-stop online portal for everything you need to widen your care options and plan for care for a person with Alzheimer's. Find out how CareSource can help at www.alz.org/caresource.

Learn more about Alzheimer's disease and caregiver stress by visiting http://www.alz.org/.