Caregiver Services

Services and Support for the Caregiver

Hospice of the Valley not only provides the best care to the person with dementia, but to the caregiver as well. We offer short-term inpatient stays so family caregivers can take a few days off, spiritual support, and information on recognizing and managing grief. We teach ways to create enriching interactions with your loved one regardless of the stage of the illness. After a death, we provide bereavement services.

Support Group

Hospice of the Valley, in collaboration with Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI), has created a monthly support group to help care-partners of persons with Frontotemporal dementias (FTDs) cope with the unique challenges of non-Alzheimer's Disease dementias. This is the first support group of its kind in Arizona for families affected by FTD. The group, called COPE (Compassionate Outreach Program & Education), meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. at BAI. Information: dementiaprogram@hov.org or 602.636.6363.

H.O.M.E. Program

Helping Our Memory-Impaired Elders (H.O.M.E.) is designed to help families and persons with dementia achieve the highest quality of life possible while effectively managing behaviors in a safe home environment. The program provides education and home visits by a nurse, social worker, and occupational therapist to Medicare patients who are primarily homebound but not yet eligible for full hospice services. People are on the H.O.M.E. program for an average of two to three months.

Respite Care

Providing care to a person with dementia is a long-term obligation. There may be a time when the caregiver simply needs a rest, or is unable to be with the patient at home for another reason. Hospice of the Valley has inpatient hospice homes Valleywide where the patient can stay for up to five days.

Caregiver Grief

Families and friends devote a significant amount of time, as well as emotional and financial resources, to caring for the person with dementia. On average, most caregivers are actively involved in providing or overseeing care for six to eight years. The significant losses caused by dementia are gradual, and the caregiver often begins the grieving process during the course of the disease.

You do not need to feel alone as a caregiver. Hospice of the Valley social workers are available to assist caregivers with processing grief, accessing community resources, finding respite care and connecting with a volunteer.

Consider the following ideas which actual caregivers of loved ones with dementia have found helpful to cope with grief and loss:

  • Share feelings with a friend or confidant
  • Keep a journal
  • Write poetry
  • Maintain friendships, hobbies and activities outside of caregiving duties

Another idea is to put together a scrapbook or "Memory Book." This can be therapeutic for family and friends as they reminisce and journal about fond memories. Consider sharing this book with others, such as professional caregivers, so they can better know the person.

Making Connections with your Loved One

Visiting the person with advanced dementia can be difficult for friends and family. Because the person can't converse, visits can be uncomfortable and silent. However, there are windows of opportunity, if we are willing to explore new and different ways to communicate and connect.

One of the most successful ways to maintain connections is by sensory stimulation. The sensory and visual parts of the brain are some of the least damaged by dementia. Sensory awareness does not require higher thinking abilities of the brain. By stimulating the senses, there is an opportunity to tap into remaining abilities to create an increased awareness of self and one's surroundings. Sing a song, look at picture books, eat ice cream, give a massage. Those activities promote well-being and comfort.