 Newsroom > Media Coverage Return to Main Media Page
HealthCare Review
by Ryan Foley
November 9 – December 21, 2007
http://www.healthcarereview.com/index.php?src=news&refno=1831&category=Features%20In%20Focus
Dr. David Harnett, chief of Psychiatry at Lawrence Memorial Hospital (Medford, MA), is
privy to the indifference family members often encounter when a loved one is diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease.
“We've had people say that when the primary care physician made the diagnosis,
they were told, 'Live with it – see you in a year,'” said Harnett. “That's the worst thing you
can say.”
Lawrence Memorial's dementia caregivers are anything but apathetic. Under the
facility's geriatric medical psychiatry unit (which includes an 18-bed open unit and a 16-
bed secure unit), a patient's physical and psychiatric maladies are separated and fully
treated. This “whole-person” model employs specialists of all kinds: psychiatrists,
internal medicine specialists, psychiatric and medical nurses, occupational therapists,
even social workers.
Harnett presented an example of how the geriatric medical psychiatry program
typically works: A depressed elderly patient refuses to eat and becomes dehydrated as a
result; he is then treated with fluids intravenously, all while his psychiatric conditions are
still being managed.
“We started this program 21 years ago,” Harnett said, “because psychiatric
departments were not doing a good job of taking care of a patient's concurrent medical
problems. The program allows us to cover both aspects – and cover both aspects very
well. It's a rather unique and innovative approach to care that's not found in our area.”
A commitment to the caregivers
What also makes Lawrence Memorial's approach to dementia care unique is the
facility's dedication to strengthening the commitment to caregivers. Lawrence Memorial
offers a variety of programs for these individuals, with one of its most prominent being
the Alzheimer's Caregiver Education Forum. The program is designed to make
caregivers aware of the various community services open to them and their loved ones:
from basic elder care to adult day health programs to visiting nursing agencies.
Lawrence Memorial also offers hosts caregivers support groups, which take place
once a month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. According to Harnett, the incident of depression
among dementia caregivers is well over 50 percent, so making certain they are of
healthy mind and body is crucial – particularly since their state can affect the care they're
delivering.
“We just want caregivers to know they're not alone in what they're going through,”
Harnett said. “I can't begin to tell you how appreciative and relieved they are when they
discover such a service.”
“We've seen many caregivers struggle over the years, so that's why we started this
group,” said Alison Christopher, LICSW, a senior social worker who runs the support
groups with Dauren Nowell, RN, director of Psychiatric Nursing. “Many people feel
isolated as they care for family members suffering from this disease. Our goal is to help
connect them to the network of programs and services out there.”
According to Christopher, those who attend the support groups possess varying
levels of knowledge regarding dementia. Some are well-versed in the subject and just
need a few strategies to aid them in delivering care. Others are rather green and come
with a multitude of core questions.
Kicking off the support group program back in May, Christopher said her fear was it
would descend into nothing more than a teaching session. “I didn't want us to be up
there, lecturing to everyone for the entire program. I wanted to get folks to participate
and fortunately, that's what's happened. I feel like the regulars who attend our support
groups are really starting to have a connection with one another and that's very
beneficial for them.”
Caregivers not alone
The statistics being offered by the Alzheimer's Association are sobering: an
estimated 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease; the number of new cases is
expected to increase from 454,000 by 2010 to 959,000 by 2050; by 2050, the number of
individuals age 65 and over with Alzheimer's could range from 11 million to 16 million.
So clearly, maintaining current programs and developing new ones is key in the
battle against Alzheimer's, as well as other forms of dementia.
“We're trying to get the message across to family members that you're not alone
when caring for those suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia,” Harnett
said. “Even if an individual has a simple question or two, we want to be there for them.”
For more information on Lawrence Memorial Hospital and its services, visit
www.hallmarkhealth.org/lawrence.php.
Return to Main Media Page
|