Por KENDRA SITTON | Noticias de la zona alta<\/p>\n
For over a year, Glenner Centers in San Diego has been working on a program to make their assistance more accessible to family caregivers of people with dementia. The organization founded by UCSD Alzheimer\u2019s researcher Dr. George G. Glenner and his wife Joy Glenner has operated a day care center in Hillcrest and other parts of San Diego for decades.<\/p>\n
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Many family caregivers needed more support tha<\/p>\n
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n just a few days of care per week so the organization began developing GLENNERCARE, a remote way for fulltime caregivers to access support. Conveniently, the rollout of the new program coincided with the shuttering of the regular care centers due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Clients enrolled in the program have access to a 24\/7 care team that helps to prevent and mitigate crises. The focus is to provide proactive and innovative care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do is use technology in a way that we can prevent ER visits or visits to urgent care,\u201d explained Tanya Navarro, a social worker for Glenner.<\/p>\n
Caregivers can call a social worker at any time if someone with dementia is agitated or having an issue. The social worker assesses the situation, can help de-escalate the situation or connect the client to other resources, including healthcare professionals. In addition, patients\u2019 vitals are monitored constantly so nurses call to check in if there are any abnormalities like an increased heart rate.<\/p>\n
This happened to Mary Gross recently, who is the caregiver of her husband Ted.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne day Ted\u2019s pulse was very high. That was strange as I got a call from the nurse: \u2018How is Ted feeling? what\u2019s going on?\u2019 And if there had been something wrong. They would have taken it to the next level and that would be calling our doctor,\u201d Gross explained. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m covered… Rather than calling my son at three in the morning, I\u2019d rather call them.\u201d<\/p>\n
76-year-old Gross also feels like Ted is receiving more personalized and adaptable care than if they were part of a big company.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really heard Tanya the social worker, say \u2018Mary, I am here for you.\u2019 And I know she is. I\u2019m not just saying that. I can tell when somebody\u2019s like \u2018Yeah we\u2019re definitely here for you. Call 1-800-pep-you-up,\u2019\u201d Gross said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
Gross said Navarro spent an hour interviewing her to find out about their lifestyle, children and grandchildren.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so important to have that personal approach with every individual. Not all dementia is created equal,\u201d Navarro said.<\/p>\n
Before moving to Glenner, Navarro worked extensively in remote care for dementia patients before, primarily in Mexico while studying for her Master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was invited to participate in this project, I was very excited because I was already doing stuff that I really enjoy: using the internet as a platform to deliver services, to deliver support to those that those that are homebound,\u201d she explained. \u201cIt felt right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the program began in tandem with the pandemic, Navarro said many caregivers struggling with isolation at home have come to depend on her. She is providing them with emotional support in a time when their contact with the outside world is limited.<\/p>\n
Many caregivers have had their lives transformed to support another person. Gross and her husband used to travel on cruises regularly. Her husband Ted served in Vietnam before becoming a computer program developer who made jewelry. His eyesight faded enough so that he can no longer read.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was nothing he couldn\u2019t do before. The Ted before and the Ted currently are two different people,\u201d Gross said. \u201cAs a primary caregiver, it was, to say the least, a challenge for me because I didn\u2019t know what to expect each day, in terms of his personality.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to enrolling in GLENNERCARE, they also hired an in-home caregiver to spend a few days per week with Ted, further relieving the stress Gross was under.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a big change for me. Having that and GLENNERCARE has made a huge difference in my life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The telehealth from GLENNER\u00adCARE is covered by Medicare so Gross accesses it for free, although there are private options.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like this is going to be a big help not only to me, but to other people,\u201d Gross said. \u201cI hope it goes national because in the middle of the night, you don\u2019t want to have to have 9-1-1 be the first call you have to make.\u201d<\/p>\n