Dementia Caregiver Support

While approximately 1 in 3 adults in the United States provide care to loved ones as informal caregivers, caring for a loved one with dementia can present unique challenges. As behavioral symptoms increase and functioning independently becomes more difficult for your loved one with dementia, you, as a caregiver, will likely take on greater responsibility that may seem overwhelming at times.

About Dementia Caregiver Support

UT Health Austin’s Comprehensive Memory Center offers caregivers a variety of support services, including guidance to manage behaviors and emotional support to address concerns of daily living, increasing behaviors, and changes in mood and sleep as well as other challenges. Additionally, the care team provides education and assistance with community resources, long-term care planning, and more.

Care Team Approach

Our mission is to put patients and their loved ones at the center of their care. Patients are cared for by a dedicated multidisciplinary care team, meaning they will benefit from the expertise of multiple specialists across a variety of disciplines. The Comprehensive Memory Center care team includes neurologists, neuropsychologists, an advanced practice provider, a speech-language pathologist, clinical social workers, and more who work together to help patients and loved ones live their best lives, have hope, and know that they are not alone.

Support offered to caregivers through the Comprehensive Memory Center is highly personalized and depends on the areas in which you need assistance in caring for your loved one. While all members of the Comprehensive Memory Center care team take part in your loved one’s care, you will likely receive direct support from the care team’s nurses, advanced practice providers, and social workers.

As a caregiver, your first appointment will begin with an initial consultation to review your loved one’s dementia condition, symptoms, behaviors, progression, and more, to provide a better understanding of your unique caregiver needs. Advanced practice providers in the Comprehensive Memory Center will then work with you on building a treatment plan that includes a variety of support services that can help you provide the best care for yourself as a caregiver as well as your loved one with dementia.

Support Services

Caregiving can be both rewarding and stressful at the same time. Recognizing that caregivers also need support is critical to maintaining optimal health so that caregivers can continue to adequately care for their loved ones.

Support services include:

Caregiver counseling
Caregiver stress management
Diagnosis acceptance
Financial planning
Long-term dementia care planning
Medication management

We also provide caregivers with dementia behavior management guidance for the following:

Aggression and anger
Anxiety and agitation
Delusions
Depression
Hallucinations
Memory loss and confusion
Repetition
Sleep Issues and sundowning
Wandering

Explore tips on managing dementia-related behaviors.

<br>Appointment Information

Caregivers caring for a loved one with a well-established diagnosis of dementia, preferably confirmed by a specialist, can make an appointment at the Comprehensive Memory Center by requesting a referral from their primary care physician. Patient history and diagnosis information is critical in the development of a comprehensive treatment approach for caregivers. If you are caring for a loved one who is suspected to have dementia, you can make an appointment for them with the Comprehensive Memory Center to have an initial evaluation and receive an official diagnosis.

Community Resources

Community care programs and services vary by state. Explore the links below for additional information on dementia resources, community programs, medical services, long-term care options specific to your area, and more.