Revisiting Staging Tool - noticing the (shocking) Caregiver info

ButterflyWings

Here is the 7 Stages of Dementia Behavioral Assessment Tool (DBAT) from Tam Cummings that has given the most accurate info for me. However, I only skim it.

I review it every so often to see where we stand on progression, and to clarify my thinking on what may be happening with DH that I can address to make the day go better for both of us.

Today, I scrolled back to Stage 4 to reply to a forum mate's question, and saw the super-important "Nursing" section at the end of most stages. I forgot this version includes that very helpful guidance for what is happening to we caregivers at certain stages too. Since the info falls on 2 separate pages, I sometimes have not looked down at that section. I took a screenshot to share it here, as it sort of threw me for a loop today. Almost shocking. But in hindsight from here in early Stage 7, I agree with the assessments.

Extremely noteworthy insights! As early as Stage 4 (mid-stages) here is some sobering guidance for caregivers :

• Family Caregiver's Health beginning to be impacted by the care
• Family Caregiver is now at risk for Compassion Fatigue or Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Person With Dementia is not safe to drive
• Person With Dementia is becoming a risk to self for care (medications, foods, driving, finances, exploitation, etc.) *Personal note: and this means also a risk to others in some cases e.g. our finances were ruined before I knew there was even a risk, while the medical team tiptoed around DH's own concerns about his emerging memory issues, and driving…well we raise that issue here often. Getting lost is not the only risk. Running over someone or their child is a very real possibility.

This is Stage 4! Sobering. Read all the way to the bottom.

Emily 123

Excellent points, BW! Stage IV is tough.

Quilting brings calm

yes. Mom’s been in stage 4 for over four years now. Some incontinence, but I still say stage 4 because that best describes her cognitive and emotional conditions. Definitely understand the caregiver impacts.

GothicGremlin

Yes, this is all familiar.

It's funny, the driving issue was never really an issue. I asked Peggy to stop driving (in stage 4) and she balked a little bit, but once I mentioned our dad, she handed those keys right over. Our dad taught driver training on the side - he was a great driver - until he hit his late '80s. He did some scary things on the road, and Peggy and I had to take away the keys - definitely not fun. Peggy didn't want to be like our dad, scaring people on the road.

All through Peggy's journey, I always focused on what was going on with her, rarely on stuff that was going on with me. I'd say mid-way through stage 5 is when compassion fatigue started to set in for me. It really is sobering, especially now that I have some space to really think about it.

H1235

The copy I have been posting did not have this information on it. Maybe it’s a newer version. Thanks for letting us know. It’s is great to have that information on there. I think seeing these things in print will be helpful to many. The driving especially. How many times have we read on this forum “but my lo never drivers very far, they are fine”. Having it in black and white at stage 4 is big!