Bill Cohen, a certified senior advisor, shares his experience in helping families navigate the challenges of caregiving for a loved one with dementia. He emphasizes the importance of open communication and allowing each family member to express their opinions and concerns. Bill also discusses the training required to become a certified senior advisor and the holistic approach they take to caregiving. He highlights the role of financial considerations in caregiving decisions and the potential for family disputes. Bill provides insights on when to seek the help of a counselor, social worker, or senior advisor, and the importance of self-care for caregivers.
Keywords
caregiving, dementia, communication, family dynamics, certified senior advisor, training, holistic approach, financial considerations, family disputes, counselor, social worker, self-care
Takeaways
Open communication and allowing each family member to express their opinions and concerns is crucial in resolving conflicts and making caregiving decisions.
Certified senior advisors take a holistic approach to caregiving, considering the financial, legal, medical, and emotional aspects of care.
Financial considerations often play a significant role in caregiving decisions and can be a source of disagreement among family members.
When facing family disputes or disagreements, it may be necessary to seek the help of a counselor, social worker, or certified senior advisor to mediate and find a resolution.
Self-care is essential for caregivers to prevent burnout and ensure they can provide the best care for their loved ones.
The site to find certified senior advisors is
https://portal.csa.us/locator/
Bill Cohen’s loving and talented mother, Sheila, lost her home to Hurricane Katrina. Then, she lost her health, ability to create beautiful art and, ultimately, her life due to Alzheimer's. For almost 10 years, Bill was her primary caregiver and advocate, not just her son. He turned his personal loss into his passion supporting other caregivers.
After “retiring” from state employment and entering his “encore career” seven years ago, Bill is a caregiver support group and memory café leader, a podcast guest, a speaker, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA)®, a trained elder mediator, and a caregiving support consultant. He has completed several caregiving courses through the Alzheimer's Association and the Society for Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)®, and earned business degrees from Boston and Portland State Universities.
Bill is a native New Englander and has lived in the Portland, Oregon area for almost 40 years with his wife and supporter, Lori.
Contact and learn more about Bill Cohen:
https://cohencaregivingsupport.com/services
