- With Mayo Clinic health education outreach coordinator
Angela Lunde
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Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
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Alzheimer's blog
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Dec. 11, 2007
Depression common among caregivers
By Angela Lunde
I am frustrated, full of anger. Sometimes I lose my temper and blow. Then I feel guilty. Even when I don't lose my temper, I feel guilty. I am grouchy. I have lost a sense of who I am these days. I grieve. I am sad and I cry, uncontrollable at times. I do not sleep well. I am lonely and I am fearful. Who am I?
I am the spouse of someone with Alzheimer's.
Does this resonate with you? For some of you, I know it does.
Think about it, many of you 'work' as a caregiver 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. And even if caregiving is something you think you do reasonably well, it can be hard to find satisfaction as a caregiver when your loved one's condition only declines. It is difficult to feel good about yourself when everything around you is unpredictable and unreal. It is tough to feel happy when you can no longer find the time to do the things you enjoy and that bring meaning to your life.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, more than 80 percent of Alzheimer caregivers report that they frequently experience high levels of stress, and nearly half say they suffer from depression. It's not difficult to see why.
All of us certainly experience negative feelings from time to time. But according to the Family Caregiver Alliance, "when these feelings become more intense and leave caregivers totally drained of energy, crying frequently or easily angered by their loved one or other people, it may well be a warning sign of depression."
Many of you have written on this blog and shared concerns about yourself, or expressed support to others related to the challenges of caregiving. I want to offer my genuine appreciation. Circles of support, of all kinds, are incredibly valuable. If you have signs of depression, I hope you seek the medical attention you need.
Depression amongst Alzheimer's caregivers is more common than most of us realize and deserves to be treated with the same attention afforded any other illness.
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