Things To Consider When You Put Your Family Action Plan    by Lori La Bey

• BREATHE, AND COUNT TO 10
• Develop a Support Team and get educated
  • Doctors
  • Home Health Care
  • Elder Law Attorneys
  • Financing Planners
  • Realtor
• Discuss the disease and talk real life situations
• Learn to remove  your fears and others about the disease
• Learn to make opportunities out of obstacles
• Pay attention!  Identify Stress Triggers for you and the patient
• Make a Favorite Memory List to refer to now and in the future
• Talk openly
• Feel the emotions of the disease and then move forward
• Help change perceptions of the disease and those affected by it
• Prepare for the changes ahead
• Accept the fact everyone will deal with the disease differently
• Realize you cannot change or control others reactions, only your own
• Know you will get through this experience and be stronger for it
• Education reduces fear and bad decisions
• Share the responsibilities – plan
• Understand and accept things won’t be perfect, most likely they never were, Stop holding on to that standard, it is not realistic!
• Ask for help when you need it
• Be compassionate to all
• Don’t forget your own family balance
• Remember, if you try to control everything, you can’t!
• DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!   
•  Allow others to help and participate
• Remember it is ok to modify the plans as you go.  It’s a good thing.
• Build a support system for the family as well as individual with Alzheimer’s
• Make clear communication a priority. Break down the steps
• Identify lines of communication and responsibility
• Realize things will change constantly, learn to go with the flow
• Step out of your box, get creative,  learn to Live To Be Pllafull™
• Appreciation how intertwined we all are
• Maintain relationships and building new ones
• Keep The Pride Principle™ intact for all through love and laughter
• Look at the disease as a series of gifts
• Embrace the gifts before you
• Find peace in letting go and learning to just BE
• BREATHE, AND COUNT TO 10