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Caregiver Connection
Stories & Resources to Help You Help Others

My Journey with Sumi*
by KC Mehta

Telling Family & Friends about the Alzheimer's Diagnosis
We return to the beginning. It is 2015 and KC has the difficult task of letting his circle of family and friends know about Sumi's recent Alzheimer's diagnosis. Two years later, KC shares his thoughts and a poem in honor of their 43rd wedding anniversary.
*Sumi was diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 59. She and her husband KC, a former engineering executive at Chrysler, had been happily married for more than 40 years but KC had done little caregiving. He first wanted to change Sumi, but he learned that  he  needed to change to best meet her needs. KC shares his memoir of their journey in Caregiver Connection (in twice monthly installments) to increase awareness of Alzheimer's disease and help others in similar situations find solace. 
Caregiver Empowerment
The Perils of Caregiving: Protecting Finances
Caregivers carry a heavy load. They manage dozens of physical and emotional needs like meals, doctor’s appointments and loneliness. Amid these daily chores, they may overlook one other essential task: financial caregiving. How to ensure a care partner’s money is safe and well-managed? Ignoring the financial side of caregiving can lead to surprising and often dire consequences. Every day, thousands of older adults are exploited by scams and frauds, losing millions of dollars each year. Wayne State University's OlderAdultNestEgg.com can help.

Protecting Dad Requires a Bold Move
Dr. Peter Lichtenberg, director of the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University is a national expert on financial decision making in older adults and how best to protect them from exploitation. He created OlderAdultNestEgg.com after years of research into the needs of professionals and caregivers who look after other people’s money.

“I see it firsthand,” Dr. Lichtenberg said, especially in his work as an expert witness in court cases involving financial mismanagement. “Often caregivers are forced to take drastic action to protect their loved ones.”

He tells the story of two attentive daughters in Michigan, caring long-distance for their 82-year-old father in Florida. Dad was showing signs of significant cognitive impairment and dementia, so they monitored his checking account. Suddenly his expenses rose and Dad couldn’t explain why.  Read more . . .
Relax with Breeda
Breeda Miller spent years as both a personal caregiver to her mother and a caregiver by profession. She produced this video to let caregivers know how much they are appreciated and help them de-stress with a series of micro-breaks. Take a minute to listen . . . and feel loved.

Remote Help with Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft & Managing Money as a Caregiver
Stay protected during the Coronavirus outbreak.
No need for an in-person visit.

Successful Aging thru Financial Empowerment (SAFE) provides  FREE  financial coaching to older adults and their caregivers to manage money securely and accurately. Schedule an appointment with Program Director LaToya Hall to talk by phone or computer now: l.hall@wayne.edu or 313-664-2608 . Assistance is safe, confidential and free.