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Caregiving: The Unexpected Career Change | |
With the right doctors, the proper medications, adult day care and creative behavior modification, I finally succeeded in turning around the endless crisis and made my parent’s lives, as well as my own, so much better. The heart-wrenching experience compelled me to write my first book, so that no one else would ever have to go through what I did. Amazingly, 25 million Americans struggle to provide care for aging family members, many of who become difficult to manage. Unfortunately, elder abuse is increasing because adult children are so unprepared with how to manage their elders who are living longer than ever. The experience has profoundly changed the direction of my life, given me a new passion, a new mission, to reach the 78 million baby boomers who are so often in denial about eldercare until they are in a crisis, and who statistically (along with many doctors) ignore the early warning signs of dementia for four years, thinking they are just a normal part of aging and untreatable "senility." The problem is that by then, the loved one has progressed into stage two Alzheimer’s and needs full-time care. They could have been helped sooner with medication (Aricept, Exelon or Reminyl) that may have slowed the dementia symptoms down by 2-4 years! Knowing the ten early warning signs can save families a lot of heartache, and possibly, their entire life savings. Ø Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's 1. Recent memory loss that affects job skills 2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks 3. Problems with language 4. Disorientation of time and place 5. Poor or decreased judgment 6. Problems with abstract thinking 7. Misplacing things 8. Changes in mood or behavior 9. Changes in personality 10. Loss of initiative My determination and perseverance (that I inherited and learned from my father) were the traits I needed to help him, and also the traits that have turned a life-altering family tragedy into a life full of purpose, as I am now a national speaker on eldercare awareness and reform. Now I wouldn't change one thing that I went through, because now I have real compassion and hard-won solutions for anyone who struggles to manage their elderly loved ones. I would have never guessed that my life’s most harrowing experience that nearly destroyed me would propel me to my most rewarding career and accomplishment. Jacqueline Marcell has appeared on numerous radio/TV programs, including CNN, NBC and “Iyanla.” AARP’s Bulletin featured her on their cover, which with a circulation of 22 million has put Elder Rage on the fast track to becoming a bestseller. 40+ prestigious endorsements include: Hugh Downs, Regis Philbin, Dr. Dean Edell, the late Steve Allen, Duke University Center for Aging, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Nancy Snyderman/ABC News, Dr. Eric Tangalos/Mayo Clinic, Dr. Rudy Tanzi/Harvard Medical School, The Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic and the National Adult Day Services Association who honored Jacqueline with their 2002 media award for her efforts to bring attention of the value of adult day care. | |
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