EPISODE 19- Alzheimer’s disease: A Husband Navigates the Caregiver Lifestyle as a Nurse

Show notes- Mourning Dove Medical Presents Dr. G at the Heart of Healthcare  Special guest Gerard Soucy, RN, CHPN 😂Joke: A nurse and doctor went to a bar… Nurse Gerald a husband and caregiver shares personal experience from 5 years caring for wife who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. She was the most important patient he had. Jeanne Soucy lived February 18, 1946-January 14, 2016 “The happy heart is true” She was a nurse educator, wife, and mother. Insights from our conversation: Caregiver may have constant anxiety and self doubt - Suffer from Loneliness - Caregivjng comes at Great Costs: Emotional, Financial, Physical. Many challenges occur with healthcare system, even to healthcare professionals. Mission-Educate & Empower in three parts, helping listeners ‘SEE’ what’s needed to navigate the healthcare system. 1. Story (theme) “Please don’t…” conversations between a loving husband and wife was documented in an Advance Directive form MOLST in Boston, Massachusetts. Timeline - 2010 diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment MCI -Advance Directive MOLST -Jeanne attended adult day program and Nurse Gerard attended a support group. - Jeanne died peacefully at home while receiving hospice care January 10, 2016 (same week as David Bowie) -Green burial 2. Educate (Teaching point) 🍦 Functional decline measured with ice-cream; decision points for full-time caregiving needs and decision point for hospice care are crucial. As Alzheimer’s disease trajectory continued, Nurse Gerard’s wife’s health declined to need hospice care, and she had a peaceful death at the age 69. 3. Empower -Valuable a resources: 05/01/2017 “A death I nursed” Death Nurse Blog http://www.deathnurse.com/2017/05/a-death-i-nursed.html?m=1 Center to Advance Palliative Care CAPC Dementia Designation https://www.capc.org/training/best-practices-in-dementia-care-and-caregiver-support#:~:text=CAPC%20Designation,-Take%20all%20seven&text=Designation%20can%20be%20added%20to,best%20practices%20in%20dementia%20care. BOOK “The Story of Nursing and Its Power to Change Our World” by Sarah DiGregorio https://a.co/d/4ww58Ab Chapter 5 'Endings' includes Gerard Soucy Taking Care: Website info https://mourningdovemedical.com VIDEO podcast https://youtu.be/s5Q-P9Vze5s #hapc #EducateAndEmpower #PeaceOfMind #Alzheimers #Dementia #Caregiver #Caregiving #mandateCAPC #Nurse #Spouse #Husband #Wife

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