Getting to Know Your Caregiving “Village”
Identifying and engaging with a medical team that you can count on can make a big difference for you and your loved one. Here is an overview of the types of healthcare professionals you may want to seek out as part of your “caregiving village”.
As a family caregiver of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or other dementia, you have likely struggled with navigating the local healthcare system as you accompany your loved one during this difficult journey. Perhaps it was a challenge to get a diagnosis, perhaps you were left with little direction after a diagnosis, or maybe there are other medical issues that are complicating your loved one’s course of illness.
Identifying and engaging with a medical team that you can count on can make a big difference for you and your loved one. The members of that team will vary depending on the resources available in your area. (Excitingly, with the advent of telehealth services, future options will be less dependent on your physical location.)
Here is an overview of the types of healthcare professionals you may want to seek out as part of your “caregiving village”.
For most individuals, an ideal team would include, at a minimum, a primary care provider and a memory care specialist/dementia specialist.
Primary Care Providers
The primary care provider (PCP) should be your first point of contact for ongoing medical care needs. A PCP may be a physician, MD, or DO, or an Advance Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) or Physician’s Assistant (PA).
While all providers and each medical practice are unique, those providing primary care typically take on a wide range of responsibilities, including:
Preventive Care:
Conducting annual check-ups and screenings to detect potential health issues.
Providing immunizations and vaccinations.
Offering guidance on healthy lifestyle choices and preventive measures.
Diagnostic and Treatment Services:
Assessing new symptoms and diagnosing common medical conditions.
Managing acute illnesses and injuries.
Prescribing medications and treatments.
Coordinating referrals to specialists when needed.
Chronic Disease Management:
Monitoring and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. Each PCP varies with the illnesses they are comfortable managing themselves or referring to a specialist.
Developing long-term treatment plans to control and mitigate the impact of chronic diseases.
Health Education and Counseling:
Offering information on disease prevention, nutrition, exercise, and healthy living.
Providing counseling on lifestyle modifications and behavior changes.
Coordination of Care:
Serving as a central point of contact for patients and coordinating care among various healthcare providers.
Ensuring that patients receive appropriate and timely referrals to specialists and other medical professionals.
Specialty Care Providers
Given all the responsibilities of your primary care provider, it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to give significant time to any one particular illness or condition. The role of a specialist is to provide dedicated time and expertise about the specific disease.
For individuals facing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, these specialists may again be physicians or advance practice providers with expertise in Geriatrics, Behavioral Neurology, and Geriatric Psychiatry. Each of these specialists brings a different focus, and all of them can be valuable.
Geriatricians are trained in adult medicine and the impacts of aging and illness. They tend to be comprehensive and can assist with diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care the range of medical and social issues that arise from the symptoms and complications of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Neurologists are trained to be experts in nervous system disorders, including the brain. For Alzheimer’s and other dementia, it is recommended that you engage with a behavioral neurologist who has additional training in the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of specific symptoms and complications caused by the disease.
Geriatric psychiatrists are trained to understand the unique aspects of how our emotional state can change with aging. Those with additional training and or expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias can help with making accurate diagnoses, as well as be valuable partners to help address emotional and behavioral symptoms that can arise.
A final type of provider that could be a valuable member of your loved one’s team is a neuropsychologist. Typically, these are PhD level professionals who specialize in evaluating and diagnosing cognitive abilities. They are the experts in human cognition, and can help identify what might be amiss in your loved one’s brain. While a valuable part of the team, these providers are not broadly trained to be full medical providers with the ability to prescribe drugs, for example.
In many parts of the country, there are centers that specialize in the care of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Ask your NAN Navigator for advice and recommendations on where you might find support. In Florida, the Memory Disorder Clinics assist individuals seeking a diagnosis and support family caregivers. They are a good starting point for recommendations for providers in your area. Click here for more information.
Please talk with your own/loved one’s healthcare provider before using any of this information.
