You Don’t Have to Care for Your Loved One Alone

It’s no secret that caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia is a challenging journey.
Even when it’s overwhelming, it can be hard to release some of the control and let others into
your caregiving experience. A collaborative care model can help ease some of this anxiety and
burden that many family caregivers feel on a regular basis without sacrificing the quality of care
for your loved one. In fact, collaborative care can actually improve the level of care you give
your loved one by taking some of the pressure off your hands. Here are three important things
to remember when it comes to collaborative care:

1. Collaborative care creates a team mentality.
   Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia can feel lonely. When your loved
   one’s memory is already deteriorating, it can be difficult for them to recognize all the
   hard work you put into caring for them. Collaborating with trusted friends, family
   members, and medical professionals can alleviate some of the burden family caregivers
   feel and distribute it evenly amongst other people. This can help family caregivers focus
   on the bigger picture—which is giving their loved one the best care possible—without
   feeling burnout or resentment from trying to do it all themselves.
2. Collaborative care enhances communication and coordination.
   One of the biggest challenges in caring for a loved one is keeping everyone on the same
   page. Assistance tools like shared calendars, online portals, and care-tracking apps can
   help eliminate confusion by recording key information for your loved one’s care. This can
   give family caregivers peace of mind that their loved one is being cared for exactly the
   way they should be, no matter whose hands they’re in. These tools can also reduce the
   possibility of missing appointments, forgetting medications, or losing track of time, which
   will improve consistency in your loved one’s routine.
3. Collaborative care builds community.
   We aren’t made to go through life alone. Not only can collaborative care give family
   caregivers a support system, it can also create a sense of community for your loved one.
   Those with Alzheimer’s and dementia can benefit greatly from being a part of a social
   network. Whether it’s through a support group, an organized community activity, or
   simply involving other family members and friends in their care, surrounding your loved
   one with other people will decrease their feelings of isolation and boost their overall well-
   being.
   Collaborative care looks different for every caregiver. One of the ways you can start taking
   advantage of this care method is through our new Brite Trace app. This app offers personalized
   tools and resources that are designed to make caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or
   dementia easy and stress-free. The app also allows the primary caregiver to send digital

invitations to trusted family members and friends. That way, if someone else needs to step in,
you can rest assured that everything they need to care for your loved one well is in one place.