Most Kentuckians with Alzheimer's are over 65 and have chronic illness, putting them at greater risk of covid-19; tips for caretakers

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People with Alzheimer's disease are considered at high risk for covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, not only because they have Alzheimer's, but also because most of the 272,000 Kentuckians with the disease are over 65 and most of them have at least one other chronic illness, Hillary Smith reports in a University of Kentucky news release.

The increased risk of covid-19 for people with Alzheimer's presents yet another challenge for caretakers. To help them, UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging offers some best practices during this outbreak.

Guidance for Caregivers:

• Wash your hands when you leave the home and when you return to the home, and frequently throughout the day. 
• Clean high-use surfaces, like doorknobs, sink handles and refrigerator doors, with a solution of four teaspoons bleach to four cups of water. 
• Manage your underlying chronic health conditions.
• Have both your and your care-recipient's prescriptions called into a pharmacy that can either deliver them or has a drive-through pickup window. 
• Monitor yourself and your person for covid-19 symptoms, which are fever, cough and sore throat, says the release. Shortness of breath is also a symptom. Call your doctor if you have any symptoms. 
• Have an alternative plan of care for your person if you would not be able to provide it. 
• Make sure anyone coming into your home to help with care is adhering to all hand-washing rules and monitoring themselves for covid-19 symptoms.
• Practice social distancing and make sure you and your person are not in close contact with groups of people. 

Social distancing suggestions:

• Work from home if possible, especially if your job allows telecommuting.
• Attend your worship service online or call a member of your religious organization to worship together over the phone.  
• If you must take your person shopping, seek times to shop that are set aside only for seniors. Better yet, have friends, family or neighbors pick up the items you need.
• Order takeout from restaurants that can deliver or offers curbside service and allows you to pay over the phone.
• Limit family visits, including visits with grandchildren. Connect via social media or visit outside standing six feet apart. 
• Going to the park and taking walks or a drive present minimal risk.

Home Engagement: 

• Stick to a routine to help keep things feel normal.
• Keep the curtains open and lights on during the day. 
• Try new activities within the home, like listening to music, looking at or organizing photos, folding washcloths or putting socks together, talking about historical events, playing cards, gardening or crafting.

Other tips for caring for a person with Alzheimer's: 

•  Be flexible and patient. 
• Avoid correcting the person. 
• Help the person remain as independent as possible. 
• Offer opportunities to make choices, two at the most. 
• Simplify instructions. 
• Establish a familiar routine. 
• Provide encouragement and support. 
• Help get your person started in the activity if they don’t start themselves.

Behaviors: If you see an increase in disruptive behavior like agitation, aggression, anxiety or resistance to care, remember that your person can pick up on your stress and anxiety. Sanders-Brown says to first make sure that the general needs of your person are being met and if they are, then to redirect and distract. It is also suggested that you keep a log of when these behaviors occur and what is happening at that time. And if the behaviors persist, call your medical provider.

KET program to host authors of "Life Lessons from Cancer" to discuss inspirational messages of book

"One to One" with Bill Goodman will feature the authors of Life Lessons from Cancer, Keen Babbage and his sister-in-law Laura Babbage, on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the book and its inspirational messages, especially the importance of family when facing life's challenges.

Keen Babbage, a teacher and native Lexingtonian, was diagnosed with cancer in his late 50s, despite a lifetime of healthy habits. He felt moved to share his experience in print.

With the help of his sister-in-law, a registered nurse and chaplain at the Chandler Medical Center at the University of Kentucky, they wrote Life Lessons from Cancer, published in September.

Keen told an audience at the first promotional event in October that he hoped the lessons in the book would be an inspiration and offer guidance for other patients with cancer as well as a resource for health-care providers.

The show will also air on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on KET2.

Life Lessons from Cancer encourages those with cancer to build a network of support

By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

The fight against cancer requires not only a personal commitment to mind, body and soul; it also requires the support and physical help of family and friends.

That's one of the key messages in Life Lessons from Cancer, a book written by cancer patient Keen Babbage and his sister-in-law and caretaker, Laura Babbage.

Keen, a teacher and native Lexingtonian who has written 17 books about education, said at the first promotional event for the book in October, that he hopes the lessons in this book will be an inspiration and guidance for other patients with cancer as well as a resource for health-care providers.

Kentucky has both the highest rate of new cancers as well as the highest death rate for all cancers in the U.S., according to a report from the Kentucky Cancer Consortium. With a 2013 census report saying 27 percent of Americans live in one-person households, many cancer patients are likely fighting this battle largely alone.

Keen was one of those.

Two days after he was diagnosed with a rare form of nasal cancer, in October 2010, he began an aggressive, three-month regime of radiation and chemotherapy at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.

His mother died of widespread abdominal cancer after his first round of chemotherapy. As she lay dying, Laura promised her that she would look after Keen.

Here's a video clip of the authors talking about the book at UK:
With great insight, Keen knew he couldn't battle cancer by himself and immediately set about building a network of people who could support him both physically and emotionally. He even enlisted the love and affection of Laura's family dog. "Cancer, we have learned, declares war," Keen said at the promotional event. "It's not a battle, it's a war."

This cancer-fighting network, according to Keen, must not only include family, but also friends and your faith community if you have one. "Put together a network and never let it go, " Keen said at the promotional event.

When building this network, Keen advises in his book that "this is the time to abolish, delete, overlook and eliminate any animosities or disagreements."

Cancer patients' needs are many. Physically, they need help with shopping and food preparation, caring for pets, laundry, cleaning, transportation, making appointments and keeping up with insurance to name a few. Emotionally, they need support that comes with companionship and encouragement.

There are times cancer patients can't leave home or the hospital for long periods; it is in these times that life must come to the patient, Keen writes.  It is only with the help and support of others that this can happen.

You must fight with every possible resource available to you, including prayer. "When someone is praying for you, it means you are not alone," Keen writes.

In response to a question about how to battle depression at the promotional event Keen said, "Small victories.  Hold onto what you believe, hold onto the people you love, eliminate every limit, find something to look forward to that can be done and then realize that it is done with a multitude of people. An individual might feel discouraged, depressed, regret. Surround yourself whenever possible with a lot of people."

Keen and Laura at Bluegrass
10,000 race, July 2011

Laura Babbage is a registered nurse who has worked as a health-care executive and is a chaplain for both UK HealthCare and St. Joseph Hospital.

Laura maintained a website on CaringBridge.com during Keen's treatment to keep family and friends informed of his condition, care and needs. The entries are included in the book and are both forthcoming and explicit. They also offer insight into the role of the caretaker.

"The caretaker needs care as well," Laura said at the promotional event. "Caretakers need to recognize their limits" and put systems in place to make sure the patient is being cared for while also taking care of themselves, she said.

Life Lessons from Cancer offers insight and encouragement to those battling cancer as well as the caregiver. It is full of lessons that not only apply to those who have cancer, but can also be applied to life.

One of the sayings for which Keen is known is his message to his students at Henry Clay High School: "Read. Read More. Keep Reading."

His motto while battling cancer came to him in a card from one of his students: "Fight. Fight more. Keep fighting."