As the pandemic forces the world to change, doctors and patients have turned to virtual care. For people with dementia, the benefits of telemedicine — delivering clinical services remotely — is an adjustment, but one that has benefits: Sparing people trips to the doctor’s office, which can be costly, disruptive and stressful. It also has its drawbacks. Patient advocate Roseanne Geisel explores its impacts and offers guidance.

Guest post by Roseanne Geisel

“Our current word choices indicate a population that is aging and declining, both physically and mentally, as well as in value.”

Searching for the right doctor for a cognitive diagnosis or treatment? Patient advocate Roseanne Geisel shares her patient-doctor matchmaking process, step by step.

Guest post by Roseanne Geisel

“One day I realized that dance was my medicine. And, when I took my medicine, I was more patient and focused, and my emotional and spiritual tank was filled with more of everything I needed to be a better caregiver and daughter to my parents.  I again realized that self-care was not self-ish,it was essential to my ability to be resilient, and to recharge and thrive instead of merely survive. Self-care is really self-love.”

Those feelings resonate with colleague Trish Laub, author of the Comfort in their Journey book series and consultant on caregiving and end of life. She recalled, “When I was first responsible for overseeing the daily care and managing the medical care for my dad who was living with Alzheimer’s, I often felt overwhelmed by the numerous aspects of daily care and medical care that I needed to track. I feared that I wouldn’t know how to deliver the best care. I later learned that a patient advocate is a person who acts as the quarterback of a care team, coordinating the care and protecting the rights of a person in need of care. They are truly invaluable.”

Guest post by Roseanne Geisel

“I now know that perhaps the greatest detriment to a person living with Alzheimer’s, and those who love them, is the harm that comes from the language we use to talk about it.”

“The real goal is for employers to empower their employees with the information to make educated caregiving decisions, and for employees to communicate with management about caregiving responsibilities and challenges”

“The statement that 'Alzheimer’s is a fight' implies that it is a persistent, life-altering inconvenience and elicits a feeling of defeat. The alternative, 'Alzheimer’s is a challenge,' indicates that it is an obstacle that can be overcome and result in a feeling of accomplishment. A problem may be met with fear, anxiety and dread, while a challenge can be met with hope and creativity.”

“Understanding the nuances of providing dignified care, and the necessary preparation for and process of the end of life is important for all caregivers, it is even more so for those caring for a loved one living with dementia as their loved one’s ability to self-advocate is diminished over the course of the disease.”

“I was a hands-on caregiver for both my parents, one living with Alzheimer’s and the other with cancer, and managed their overall care as well their medical care. My parents lived through the Great Depression and both did their part during WWII. They did not experience a pandemic, but I have thought about what I, as a caregiver, would do had my dad been under my care at this time.”