Today will be Part 2 of 2, and the continuation of last week’s podcast topic on life sustaining measures.

Today, I will briefly touch upon 3 specific life sustaining measures:

1. airway assistance

2. mechanical ventilation

3. feeding tubes

Here are some key points from last week, that I think are important enough to highlight again, before addressing more life sustaining measures today:

1. It is important in a healthy relationship, to realize that everyone should learn to respect each other’s abilities to make their own informed decisions to guide their health and lives

2. As your elderly loved one needs more care, it is important that you, as a caregiver, remember that they are still adults. They have rights.

3. Even though you may be a caregiver for them, and there is a change in relationship dynamics…if your elderly love one is still competent to make informed decisions, they have a right to have their health and life choices honored.

The 3 things that I hope for you to take away from today’s podcast are:

1. Understanding the basics of a Do Not Resuscitate or DNR order.

2. Understanding how DNR orders can be applied through concrete examples.

3. Understanding the importance of discussing questions regarding life sustaining measures with anyone diagnosed with a chronic debilitating disease.

Legal decision making capabilities will be impaired as dementia disease worsens. During early stages of dementia, in general, most patients are usually still able to think about and express their true wishes regarding their rights. If your loved one is at a stage in their health, where they still have their own functioning cognitive ability, having them provide input into their wishes will take a lot of the guess work out of figuring what they want. Focusing on specific medical topics and questions that should be addressed with and answered by your elderly loved one once they are diagnosed with a chronic progressive dementia disease will help equip you, as a caregiver, to better care for them and provide them with more dignity throughout their disease course.

What is advance care planning?

Have you heard people talk about appointing a healthcare proxy or a durable power of attorney (POA)?

Have you been wondering why is it even important to appoint these positions for your elderly loved one diagnosed with dementia?

Advance care planning is a process of planning for future medical care in case a patient becomes unable to make their own medical decisions.

If your elderly loved one is diagnosed with a chronic progressive dementia, it is important to jointly discuss advance care planning with them early on in the disease course.

Although it can be overwhelming taking care of another adult, you don’t have to do it alone. There are actually many people tackling the same challenges that you may be having. I have advice that can help.

Are you at the stage in your elder caregiving journey where you’d like to seek more medical evaluation and help for your elderly loved one? Do you feel overwhelmed with the task of finding the “right” medical provider, and have no idea how or where to start looking?

Well, I’m here to tell you, that I can help.

Although it may seem daunting at first, the tips and recommendations that I will be discussing in today’s podcast will help you succeed in finding an experienced and knowledgeable medical provider specializing in elder dementia care. In fact, these pointers can actually help anyone that is seeking thorough medical care, in general.

Does it seem like your elderly loved one has been more forgetful lately? Have they been more distracted or demonstrated some noticeable uncharacteristic mood changes? Has your elderly loved one recently seemed more disheveled in appearance than normal? Are you concerned that they might be developing dementia…or even wondering what dementia really is?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. My name is Dr. Michele Yoon, and I’m a board certified orthopaedic surgeon. In my podcast today, I’ll be talking about understanding and recognizing dementia to better equip you to be successful in your journey to navigate, plan, and provide thorough care for an elderly loved one diagnosed with dementia. Tips in today’s podcast will include things to consider as an elder dementia caregiver and is part of the podcast series titled: Knowledge and resources that elder dementia caregivers need most: A physician’s perspective and advice to support caregiving for a loved one suffering from dementia.

The 3 things that I’d like you to take away from this podcast are:

1. Understanding dementia

2. Recognizing dementia

3. Things to consider once you think your loved one may be in the early stages of dementia disease

Do you have a loved one that has recently been diagnosed with dementia?

Are you currently caring for someone with dementia?

Do you just want to learn more about dementia and elder caregiving?

My name is Dr. Michele Yoon, and I’m a board certified orthopaedic surgeon. Today, I’m introducing the first podcast in my series titled: Knowledge and resources that elder dementia caregivers need most: A physician’s perspective and advice to support caregiving for a loved one suffering from dementia.

Elder dementia caregiving is not easy, but you don’t have to face this road alone. I will be providing information, resources and techniques that I found to be beneficial during my journey caring for my elderly mom as she battled dementia.

Many of these topics will address specific questions that you might also encounter as an elder dementia caregiver.