June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month and those caring for loved ones at home who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia are facing additional challenges due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Friendly Faces Senior Care, a local agency who specializes in non-medical in-home care services for Alzheimer’s and dementia families, will be posting information and resources throughout the month of June on their website and social media to help families navigate caring for loved ones through the stages of degenerative brain disease amid the pandemic.

“Approximately 80% of our client base suffers from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and/or a stroke,” said Qiana James, Founder and CEO of Friendly Faces Senior Care. “Caring for a loved one with cognitive impairments at home can be challenging enough, but the pandemic has brought additional stressors for families trying to balance caring for children at home, working from home, and caring for a high-risk parent with Alzheimer’s. We’re hoping to help families learn more about this disease and how to care for loved ones effected by it by providing tips, facts, resources, kindness and support throughout the month of June, and beyond.”

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and, as of 2019, there were 390,000 Texans over the age of 65 living with the disease.

With 83% of the help provided to older Americans coming from family members or friends at home, and nearly half those caregivers providing care for someone living with Alzheimer's or another dementia, Friendly Faces Senior Care is hoping their June outreach will help provide additional education and resources for families caring for loved ones with mild to severe Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Their agency’s staff includes professional caregivers specifically trained in Alzheimer’s and dementia care who provide support for families facing the daunting task of caring for a loved one suffering from a disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior, that only worsens over time.

“Caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s can be frightening, rewarding and frustrating,” said James. “It’s important to remember that a person with Alzheimer’s is not trying to give you a hard time, they are having a hard time. Our goal is to be a bridge that not only provides support in the home, but provides education and serves as a compassionate buffer to allow caregivers to be more of a daughter, son, husband or wife, instead of just the primary caregiver.”

Friendly Faces Senior Care provides in-home services that help make it easier for families to care for loved ones with the disease, such as meal preparation and reminders, as often people with Alzheimer’s will forget to eat, and as the disease progresses, may forget how to use utensils. Their professional caregivers also provide medication reminders, bathing, grooming, toileting, and companionship, to allow family caregivers critical time to take a break for self-care.

Friendly Faces will be providing tips and information on Alzheimer’s and dementia throughout the month of June for Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month on their Facebook @friendlyfacesseniorcare and website at https://www.friendlyfaces.com.