A world issue, not just an American one

We are pretty fortunate here in the United States of America, in that there are many resources available to families and patients with Alzheimer's disease.  The numbers are staggering here with over 5 million people facing the disease, and the majority of caregivers are family members. Naturally, this is an monumental strain on finances, emotions, health and social activities for those caregivers.  In the past three years or so, there has been much more awareness brought to this epidemic and more and more resources and help has blossomed.  I believe that caregivers have a much better chance of knowing where to go for help, whereas when I was in that situation, I didn't.  So, the awareness is a good thing, although there is still much that needs to be done for family caregivers.

I have friends in Italy who are struggling with the rise in Alzheimer's patients. There, they have no facilities to provide 24 hour care to these patients. There are no assisted living facilities or nursing homes with staff trained to care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. The burden falls directly on the families.  There is an adult daycare facility in Caltanissetta that just opened a month ago and they are fighting the state to keep it opened.  The funds are there but the State doesn't deem it necessary enough to provide contiuous funding.  This is absurd!  How are families supposed to find the time and enery to work, to provide for themselves if there is no place for rtheir loved ones and no opportunity for respite care?

I am an advocate for caregivers.  I am also a proponent for keeping the loved ones at home.  I don't like nursing homes (that should be a last resort), because the care there is provided on a cookie cutter basis. There is nothing like a loving child, spouse, brother or sister.  I'd like to see trained, skilled caregivers who, most importantly are sincere, tender, and loving to come into homes and relieve the family member.  I'd like daycare facilities to be available to family caregivers.  How can this be accomplished?  I'm not so sure that money is the answer because I have seen and heard so much about caregivers abusing and mistreating the elderly.  It has to come from a heart filled with love and passion for the elderly.  I wish I knew how to do this. I would love to help those suffering in Italt, as well as those here in this country.