Family Dynamics in Caregiving: Four Essential Tips / Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias

Are you struggling to pull your family together to create a working support system for someone living with dementia? Do you find family members disagreeing on what needs to be done or how to help? You're not alone, and there's a path forward.

We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, we've learned that transforming family dynamics into effective teamwork is one of the most challenging—yet most rewarding—aspects of the caregiving journey.

In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Barry Jacobs, a clinical psychologist and family therapist who brings both professional expertise and personal caregiving experience to this conversation. Barry cared for his mother with vascular dementia and his stepfather with Alzheimer's disease for seven years, and he co-authored the AARP Caregiver Answer Book with his wife, psychologist Julia Mayer.

This content aligns with Step 8 of our Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap: Start Planning for the Next Stage of Care, particularly when building your personal support network of family and friends.

Connect with us and share your tips:

• Website: https://thecaregiversjourney.org/
• Donate: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney
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• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecaregiversjourneys/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suearmstrongryan/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancytreaster/
• Email: sue@thecaregiversjourney.org, nancy@thecaregiversjourney.org

Full Show Notes

https://thecaregiversjourney.org/50-family-dynamics-in-caregiving-four-essential-tips-alzheimers-and-other-dementias/

Additional Resources Mentioned

• Barry’s website www.caregiveranswerbook.com
• Buy the Caregiver Answer Book on Amazon https://amzn.to/4i9V9ZL
• Navigating Dementia Caregiving Roadmap guide https://thecaregiversjourney.org/guides/#guides
• Support the nonprofit The Caregiver's Journey: https://give.cornerstone.cc/thecaregiversjourney

Takeaways

Transforming your family into an effective caregiving team isn’t easy. It’s worth the effort — not just for your loved one with dementia — but for every member of your family.

These four tips provide a framework:

1. Create consensus (everyone on the same page).
2. Define an ongoing format for decision making (regular meetings with clear rhythm).
3. Build a family caregiving plan (who does what and when).
4. Plan to deal with conflict (don’t let disagreements become disrespectful).