DALLAS (KRLD) - The James L. West Center in Fort Worth, a non-profit that cares for people with dementia, is offering online courses and videos for families who may have decided to care for relatives at home out of concern of the spread of COVID-19. The center provides inpatient and outpatient services.
The center confirmed its first case in a resident this week. That resident is now in isolation.
For families who choose to take relatives out of senior centers or retirement communities, the center has posted a series of videos at jameslwestlearn.org.
"If you're caregiving for somebody at home, there's a lot to take into account," says Jaime Cobb, the vice president of caregiver outreach and education. "This affects the whole family, really. It's not just one person living with the disease. Everybody's living with that disease in some way."
Cobb says the videos can show people how to watch for changes in a relative's abilities and give advice for how to interact with someone.
"Their reality is their reality," she says. "Trying to tell them, 'No, you're wrong, it's not Sunday morning and we're not going to church. It's Friday, and we've got to go to bed,' doesn't meet them in their world. Instead of fighting with them that way, let's just meet them where they're at."
In addition to the videos, a support group meets twice weekly online, Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and Fridays at 11 a.m. People can email caregiver@jameslwest.org for information.
Cobb says the support group can let people share ideas and talk about the emotional effects of caring for someone with dementia. She says some families can get overwhelmed with the care that is needed 24 hours a day.
"You, as a caregiver, do you have the support in place to help meet their needs?" she asks. "But also, you can meet your needs, too, to stay happy and healthy."
Cobb says senior living facilities across the state collaborate to try to prevent "clusters" of cases. The James L. West Center had already restricted access, only allowing "essential visitors." Those visitors have their temperatures taken before they are allowed in.
The center says each resident is also screened for fever or respiratory problems. The center says it also works to keep residents on as normal a schedule as possible.
According to the center's procedures, employees who show symptoms are told to stay home, and those at work are "continually re-educated about infectious disease policies and procedures."