Links & Reading

“It is not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.”
— Lena Horne, singer

Arkansas has numerous organizations to help caregivers “carry the load.”  Scan this list of live links to find social and professional organizations that exist to help caregivers find answers to questions and supportive personal engagement to lighten the caregiver journey.

Activities

• Alzheimer’s Arkansas: https://www.alzark.org/
• Family Caregiver Care Binder: https://www.alzark.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Care-Binder.pdf
• Creating a Memory Book: https://www.alzark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Memory-Book.pdf
•  Faulkner County Library: https://fcl.org/departments/adults/ multiple adult activities, Arkansas Aging Wiser Wednesday events
• Faulkner County Senior Citizens: https://fcseniors.com/ home delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, complimentary services, etc.
•  Alzheimer’s Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Checklist: https://www.alzark.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EMERGENCY-PREPARATION-1.pdf

Care Giving Services & Support

• FAMILY CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP  (public) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1213408352426875
• Alzheimer’s Arkansas: https://www.alzark.org/  (volunteer opportunities available) care giver workshops, coffee with caregivers, lunch & learn, podcast, support groups, etc.
• Alzheimer’s Arkansas Caregivers Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/500115774003901 private confidential group: log on to Facebook and ask to join
•  Arkansas Total Care: https://www.arkansastotalcare.com/members/caregiver-resources.html
• Care Link: https://www.carelink.org/ nonprofit connects resources for active and homebound older people and their caregivers
• Cornerstone Care: https://cornerstonecaregiving.com/ personal care, 24-hour and respite care, veterans’ care, hospital recovery care, hospice and palliative care, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care
•  Diamond Personal Care: https://www.dpc-ar.com/ in-home assistance, transportation, companionship, meal preparation, shopping
• Home Instead: https://www.homeinstead.com/ppc/home-care/ personalized elderly care for all stages of aging
• Visiting Angels: https://www.visitingangels.com (personalized elderly care for all stages of aging)

Local

• Conway Regional: https://www.conwayregional.org/services/senior-health senior counseling center, senior behavioral care, wellness
•  Baptist Health: 
• https://www.baptist-health.com/services/senior-health/ Menopause, Osteoporosis, Geriatric Fractures, Alzheimer’s Disease, Heart Health, Home Health, Hospice, PACE: medical and respite care for seniors who remain in their home
• https://www.baptist-health.com/blog/aging-and-mental-health-what-to-look-for/ BHealthy Blog: addresses mental, emotional, and physical issues with aging
• https://www.baptist-health.com/services/behavioral-health/geriatric-behavioral-health/ Geriatric Behavioral Program (LR and Fort Smith): psychiatric counseling services
• Caption Telephone Messaging: https://www.captel.com/

State

• American Association of Retired People, Arkansas: https://states.aarp.org/arkansas/ (links, resources, programs for elderly and care giving Arkansans) and AARP: https://states.aarp.org/arkansas/caregiver-resources?CMP=OTH-CAREGIVING-STATEGUIDE-AR
• Arkansas Aging Wiser: https://www.facebook.com/people/Arkansas-Aging-Wiser/61557016094690/
• United Way, 211 Assistance: https://arkansas211.org/ free confidential multilingual way to connect with local resources for food, shelter, rental assistance, childcare, etc.

National

• Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/
• Veterans’ Health Administration: https://www.va.gov/health/
• American Association of Retired Persons: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/ (specialized care, coping, care at home, caregiver resource center)
• Alzheimer’s Association: https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving 24/7 hotline, stages/behaviors, educational programs and dementia care resources, caregiver help, support groups, activities, communication and Alzheimer’s

Reading Suggestions

“Doctors diagnose, nurses heal and caregivers make sense of it all.”
― Brett H. Lewis, author

The act of caregiving has a steep learning curve. Enrich your personal research and suggest resources be made available through your church library. The books, activity guides and pamphlets listed below reference caregiving for dementia and age-related illnesses (Aging, Cancer, Dementias, ALS, Parkinsons) to help “caregivers make sense of it all.”

Books

Supportive Suggestions

• Toolkit for Caregivers: Tips, Skills, and Wisdom to Maximize Your Time Together, Deidre Edwards, RN
• Self-Care for Caregivers: A Practical Guide to Caring for You While You Care for Your Loved One, Suzanne White, 2022; 205 pp., Kindle/hardback, free to read with Kindle Unlimited/Kindle Audible (reading sample available).

The Dementias

• Dementia Caregiver’s Survival Guide and Dementia Caregiver’s Respite: Effective Strategies for
• Dementia Care and Self-Care, Janet G. Crux
• Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease, Joanne Koenig Coste

Cancer

• Braving Chemo: What to expect, How to Prepare, and How to Get Through It, Beverly Zavaleta, MD
• The Chemotherapy Survival Guide, Judith McKay, RN, OCN and Tamera Schacher, RN, OCN, MSN
• Things I wish I’d Known: Cancer Caregivers Speak Out, Deborah J. Cornwall

Aging

• How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease, Michael Greger, MD
• Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity, Peter Attia, MD

Guides and Activity Workbooks

• Alzheimer’s Disease: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier, (comprehensive topical guide) Patricia R. Callone, MA, MRE, Connie Kudlacek, BS, Barbara C. Vasiloff, MA, Janaan Manternach, D Min, and Rober A. Brumback, MD
• Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease, National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet
• Creative Engagement: A Handbook of Activities for People with Dementia, Rachael Wonderline with Geri M. Lotze, PH.D.
• The Dementias: Hope Through Research, National Institutes of HealthCoach Broyles’ Playbook for Alzheimer’s Caregivers: A Practical Tips Guide, Frank Broyles
• Dementia Activities for Seniors, 125 Easy and Fun Anti-Stress Puzzles and Cognitive Games for Cognitive Games to Boost Memory and Reduce Stress, Rockink Publishing
• Frontotemporal Disorders: Information, for Patients, Families, and Professionals, National Institutes of Health
• The Itty Bitty Dementia Book, Tam Cummings, Ph.D., Gerontologist
• Lewy Body Dementia: Information for Patients, Families, and Professionals, National Institutes of Health
• The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias, Nancy L. Mace, MA and Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH
• The Sunshine on My Face: A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, Lydia Burdick, Health Professions Press 

Brochures/Flyers

• Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet, National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet
• Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Need to Know, National Institutes of Health
• Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease Genes, National Institutes of Health Fact Sheet

Additional Reading Suggestions (Aging, Dementias, ALS, Parkinsons) 

• The Caregiver’s Companion, Debra Kelsey-Davis and Kelly Johnson, 2020, 160 pp., hardback/paperback (Amazon reading sample available).
• My Aging Parents Need Help, Cynthia Kaye, 2022; 256 pp., Kindle/paperback/hardback/free on Amazon or Audible, also available at Walmart (Amazon reading sample available).
• The 36 Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for people who have Alzheimer’s and other Dementias, by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins, 2021, 360 pp., Kindle/hardback/Audible (Amazon reading sample available).
• A Loving Approach to Dementia Care: Making Meaningful Connections while Caregiving, Laura Wayman, 2021; 200 pp., Kindle/hardback (Amazon reading sample available).              
• Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Caregiving: 7 Steps to Become a Healthy, Gracious, and Empowered Care Partner During the Dementia Ahead, Elly Ambit, 2024; 149 pp., Kindle/paperback/free on Amazon Unlimited. (Amazon reading sample available).
• Dementia Caregiver Guide, Teepa Snow, 2018; 112 pp., paperback (reading sample available).
• The Courage to Care: Being Fully Present with the Dying, Rev. Linda Bryce, 2021, 260 pp. Kindle/paperback (Amazon reading sample available).
• Home Care Strategies for ALS Caregivers: Expert Tips and Support for Navigating ALS Caregiving, Shakil T. Beaumont, 2024, 110 pp., paperback (reading sample available).
• Onward Forward—My Journey with ALS, Brian Jeansonne and Alanis Morissette, 2024; 284 pp., Kindle, hardcover, paperback (Amazon reading sample available).
• Living with Parkinson’s Disease: A Complete Guide for Patients and Caregivers, Michael Okun, MD, Irene A. Malaty, MD, 2020; 320 pp.., Audiobook (Audible sample available), paperback.
• Navigate the Parkinson’s Maze: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients & Caregivers: treatments, strategies & Tips from Diagnosis to Long-Term Care, Bruce D. Wright, Ph.D., 2024; 176 pp., Kindle, hardback, paperback (reading sample available).
• Parkinson’s Disease: Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, Peter LeWitt, 202; 126 pp., Kindle and paperback (reading sample available).