InFocus featuring Michele Anstett on Visiting Angels Dementia Care

From the 22 News Plus Studio, this is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Barry. Hello everyone, and welcome to this edition of In Focus. I'm your host, Patrick Barry. We are here in the 22 News Plus Studios. Today we're having a conversation that if it hasn't affected you yet, it will most likely affect you and your family. It's about dementia. Joining across the desk from me today is Michelle Anstead. She is the president, director, owner of Visiting Angels right here in the Pioneer Valley, and she knows more about dementia and dementia care than any of us, which is why she's here. I have family members who are affected by it. You have family members who are affected by it. A lot of people do, but I have to be honest. I don't, even though I have a family member affected by it, I don't really know much about it. So Michelle, what, because dementia's kind of like, it's a, I don't even, it's like Kleenex. You know, Kleenex is tissues, you know, and I think dementia's sort of the same way. It's sort of an umbrella term, right? It is, it is. It's a overall term, and there are many different types of dementia. They all affect the brain. Okay. And, you know, the one that people most, are most familiar with is Alzheimer's. But there's Lewy, Lewy body, dementia. There's many different types, and it affects the brain in different ways. So dementia is the overarching description of memory-related issues? Yes. For lack of a better description? I guess that is probably a very good description. So through your travels, I mean, obviously you have a business that deals with this. Are there a lot of people that have memory-related issues? And again, you know, and then it's the, you know, we joke, you know, I get rid of my keys, but there's that, and then there's medically determined dementia. Exactly, and there is a lot. There is, and then there's, what's scary is, there's even more that are not diagnosed. Really? And also there are people that kind of sense there is coming on, but they hide it because they don't want that. Shame. Shame or stigma. Which is sad because today there are so many different medications or processes that can help delay. You know, that brings up a very good point. Is the treatment and care for dementia-related brain issues, is it advancing and is it better today than say it was five, 10, 20, 30, 50 years ago? Oh, definitely. I mean, today it's even better than like last year. Really? They are really, the Alzheimer's Association is really discovering different reasons why this is happening. And I believe that they are actually, I think it is coming, they are coming up with a vaccine or something that don't- A treatment. Yeah, a treatment that- To slow it? A test, it's a test that will help determine early on if you are at risk. You know, it's funny, now that you're telling me this, I do remember reading something about that. Where there's like a DNA test you can take. I think it's a protein, something to do with protein. But I mean, that opens a can of worms. Do you want to know or do you not want to know early on? I think that that has happened with a lot of, like for instance, breast cancer. Or you know, you could do a test and people have to struggle with that. Do I want to know? Right. Or do I, you know, but- Whereas I think for cancers, I'd want to know because today, cancer is far more curable than it's ever been. And it's only getting better, more curable. Right. But dementia, you can prolong it, I guess? Yes. It's not curable. It's not, but you can prolong it. And you can, your quality of life, for you, for your family members, is so much better than say, when my grandmother passed away from dementia. When she passed away- And what year was that? And that was 2000. Okay. So 25 years- So a couple decades ago, yeah. Yeah. So when she passed away, I mean, she was in a nursing home and they didn't have a lot of options. They probably didn't really fully understand how to care for a person. You know, and it was known as- Even as recently as 2000, the year 2000. Yeah, it was known as the elder disease, the forgetful, you know. But now, I would strongly encourage people, and it's just such, it just makes me smile because now we have this ability to find out, are we at risk? And prolong it. Prolong the effects of it. Delay it. And the sooner you can find that out and the sooner that you can start that process, the longer you're going to have with- A functioning memory. A really good quality of life. That's what everybody wants, is just a good quality of life. Yes, isn't that what life's about? Exactly, exactly. Living long and remembering to live, you know. Right. Your loved ones. Right, right. And having, you know, just life and a good life. And that's, like I said, not just for you, but the people around you, your family members. It is just so, it's so hard when you're watching a loved one suffer. And in a way, my father, he knew he had it. And he was trying to really cover it. Fight it, cover it. Because he remembers what happened to his mother. But it is not like that now. Now, I encourage anyone to- Learn more about your father. Learn more and seek the help. Don't hide it. Get the help before. We are up on our first commercial break. It's a perfect way to end because when we come back, we're gonna really dive into getting the help that you need. Stay with us. We're back in a moment. This is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Berry. Welcome back, everyone, to today's edition of In Focus. Sitting across the desk from me is Michelle Anstett. She is the president, director, owner of Visiting Angels right here in West Springfield, Mass. Michelle, thank you so much for joining me today. We're having a fascinating conversation, important conversation about dementia and memory loss and memory-related issues. You have mentioned it a few times, and I wanna make sure we really have this conversation. You've kind of made it in passing about it's not just the patient, it's the family, you know? And I think we all know I've got, you know, I have immediate family that's dealing with it. I have very close friends who have dealt with it and their parents have passed. It is difficult for those who aren't. But there's help for those, for the family, too. Yes, yes. So let's talk about some of the, let's go progressionally. So the care of the patient who's starting to have a memory loss issue from, let's say, diagnosis, or maybe even before that. Usually before, yeah. Okay, so walk me through it. So usually it is either loved ones, either family or friends. Recognizing it? That are recognizing it, neighbors. And, you know, it starts out mild, and then you can see that progression. Right. Again, I strongly encourage family members or friends that are noticing something to have that conversation in the best way possible. With the person who is having that memory issue, and encourage them to seek out. That has to be an extremely difficult conversation to have, because the patient, for lack of a better description, will fight it. No, no, I'm fine, I'm fine. So I couldn't remember, you know, my niece's name. It's true. Or whatever it is. It's getting older, you know? It is so true. But it's a difficult conversation. It's very difficult, and if you, as that person, approaching the other person that you feel is having some issues, if you need to get help, I would encourage reaching out to groups, Alzheimer's Association groups, any type of professionals, to find out, how can I have this conversation? And for each person, it's different. You know, I hate to say this, but maybe tricking the patient into a diagnosis, like, oh, hey, maybe talk to the doctor at first, and go, hey, this is something I'm struggling with, mom or dad, or husband, wife, or whatever, and just say, can we come in, and you just sort of, you know, hey, you're hitting the age where, you know, memory issues are starting to become a problem, let's test you for it. So kind of trick them into that, so it's not you, the partner, or you, the child, saying, mom, you know, does that help? Or am I kind of off base with that? My personal opinion is to be as honest as possible with your loved one. Okay. And have that conversation before you need to trick them. Good point, good point. But again, every person is different in what works for them. In knowing your parent, what will work for one will not work for another, just, you know, and you have to really kind of focus on that. It may be that you might have to say, hey, let's just, you know, but it might also be, hey, how do you feel about your memory? Do you feel there, yeah. One of the things I have heard a lot is you should never argue with, so if a person, you know, that might be having a memory issue starts repeating themselves. Yes. The loved one shouldn't be, you just told me that. Yes. You know, just kind of roll with it a little bit, right? You do. Because if you don't, that just creates anger. Yes, it does, and frustration. There are so many wonderful things that you can do to divert the attention to something else. But yeah, it's very important for you to be educated also in what is going to be the best for the situation. And usually, you know, trying to prove that, oh, you just said that, or trying, that's not gonna work. It's just creating more problems. It's creating agitation. So Michelle, let me ask you, as, what kind of care is a bill? So if somebody we recognize has a memory-related issue, what should we be doing? Should we be, you know, again, their memory's not so great. Should we be keeping them in the house so that they're not getting lost or not wandering, or should, or is exposure to other people, environments, activities, you know, we always hear, you know, diet and exercise are some of the best things that you can do as you age. Is that the same with a patient that has memory loss? Kind of keep them in group settings, maybe socializing more? Yeah, definitely. As a society in social settings is so important to the personal being. And it just helps further your brain, keeping it active and- And stemming the advancement of it. Yes, stemming that advancement. And so as long as it is, it might have to migrate into a different, you know, visual of what that socialization is. For instance- But that's no different as it's growing older. It is, it is. You know, socialization for our age is one thing, socialization 10 years from now is different, 20 years from now is different. Or previously. Right, exactly, yeah. So it's going, again, with that individual and what works for them. So for someone, for a loved one that recognizes this, should they already be seeking out a professional in the field for guidance? Definitely. Okay, because you can't know everything and the internet is not going to give you every answer because each person's unique. And you have to be careful about what's real, what's not real. But definitely there's a lot of groups, support groups. Usually people start with maybe a friend that maybe has gone through the same thing. And then, you know, and then it branches to maybe a professional or, you know, a support group. And then hoping to get that diagnosis so that that person can get the help that they need as early as possible. So as to prolong the damage that this disease does. We are up on our second commercial break. Stay with us, we're back in just a moment. This is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Berry. Welcome back, everyone, to today's conversation here on In Focus. It's an important one. We're talking about memory-related health issues, dementia is the overarching umbrella name for more than 100 different memory-related issues. Alzheimer's is probably the one most people know because it affects most people. But sitting across the desk from me today from Visiting Angels in West Springfield is Michelle Anstett. She's their president, director, and owner. Michelle, thank you again for joining me. I appreciate it. The last segment, we started to talk about care. There are a number of different ways to care for a family member, a loved one who is having memory-related, memory loss, memory-related issues, and the care changes as the memory gets worse and worse and worse. When we first, just before the break, we were talking about the early stages. Keep them socializing, keep them socializing. But there are other ones. There's in-home, there's programs that people can, you can take your loved one to. I guess, talk to me a little bit about the different programs that are available and the importance of each of those. Yeah, there are so many different options. And again, I know I keep saying this, but it's true. Not every option works for every person. So it's wonderful that there are that many different options. You know, there's independent living. There's assisted living. Memory care. So you go in, and you kind of take care of yourself, and then as your health deteriorates, you get a little bit more care, a little bit more care. A little bit more, and then a little bit more. So there's that option. There's in-home care, where people go into their home and manage what they need. And it might start out with just a little care, and then it increases. Yeah, if you're just making lunch. Right, and it's good to start just in that early stages so that they're more acceptable, or accepting, I should say, when they need personal care. Caregivers that go into the home become the client's friends. Exactly. And it's a relationship, and it's a trust. And I don't know how those people do that, because you watch the slow progression of somebody, somebody's mind deteriorate, and you do. You become a friend. You do. And then when that person passes, it's devastating. And the weird part to me for those caregivers is, and they're on to the next person. Right. And God knows how many years that lasts, and then they're on to the next person, so it's a hard job. It's hard. It is a hard job, because you've developed that relationship and you're watching that decline. And yes, when they do pass, it affects these caregivers immensely. It affects even us in the office immensely, because they are part of our family. Yeah, you've been tied and connected to them for- Yes. Yes, we've- Could be years. Years, we've had clients for 10 years. And so when somebody passes, it's more than just, okay, we're on to the next one. It is, many times it's caregivers taking time off, because they need that time to regroup before they can move on to the next. And that's respite care, right? And respite care, I don't think enough people understand. I quite frankly didn't understand respite care until just a few years ago. Yeah. But it's relieving the family caregiver. If I'm boiling it down to its simplest terms, respite care relieves the family member who's doing the primary care. That's exactly right. Because as we've learned and we've heard, you get that burnout. Yes. And a lot of times the person doing the care may have their own health-related issues because of all the care that they're giving. Yes. And how many times does that person pass away before the patient passes away? Right, exactly. I mean, it happened personally for my situation. My mother, who was not in good shape, was taking care of my father with dementia. Wow. And it's very difficult. Respite care is very important. And there is a new program coming out, which everyone is very excited about. It's called the Guide Program. And it is an eight-year-long grant study, not study, but grant, for care, for helping out the person who needs that respite. Wow. So there are funds that are available that give the caregiver, family caregiver- A weekend away, a night away. Yes. Something simple. Yes, just to be able to go out and get their hair done or something, something. Right. The hard part, I think, with memory-related issues is it's not like cancer, it's not like heart disease. It could go on for years. Yep. And that's the hard part, is the caregiver. Yes. You know, you might think, oh, all right. You know, I mean, think of, you know, I don't know, folks, if you've got a loved one with memory-related issues, but think of how long they've been around. You know, and again, the family member that's giving the care- Yes. Could be five, six, 10 years. 10 years, yeah. Or more. Yep. That you're dealing with this. And when I brought my mother- You're slowly getting worse. Yeah, when I brought my mother-in-law from the time that I brought her to get that diagnosis and went to the time, I think it was about 10 years to when she passed. So, you know, one of the things I asked you before about seeking professional help early, how important is that? Not just from, okay, here's what you can expect, but maybe treatment, the treatment side of it. Yes. You know, you mentioned possible, not vaccines, but medications that might stem the advancement of it. Yes, they're so excited because we're finally making some strides so diagnosing it early, that helps with, okay, now we've got these medications that once we know and we start it right away, we can prolong the onset of these terrible effects. And that's exciting news. Absolutely, absolutely. And as we stated very early in this conversation, the Alzheimer's Association is making great strides in the care and treatment of memory-related issues. And I strongly recommend, you know, when you hear about the Alzheimer's walks and raising funds, definitely you could see this is where that money is going to. Absolutely. So, yeah. Michelle, I can't thank you enough for joining me today for this conversation, important conversation for all of us. So thank you for giving me some insight. I appreciate it. Good seeing you. Thank you so much for inviting me. This is 22 News In Focus with Patrick Berry.