Weekly InSight: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Benefits

Ron was 66 years old when he began committing all of his energy to his wife as her primary caregiver. Over the next two years, he found himself overwhelmed by her “insurmountable” needs. At day, he fantasizes about the retirement he thought he’d have. At night, his worries keep him awake. He finally decides he needed some help of his own and begins therapy.

Ron and his therapist use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to challenge the negative thoughts that are plaguing him, and come up with ways for him to identify and address the negative feelings that follow the thoughts. They work on coping skills, such as mindfulness, that Ron works into his daily routine. After a few sessions, Ron feels more comfortable accepting the diagnosis and its implications and is better able to adapt to his caregiving role without compromising his own self-care.

The name Ron is a pseudonym, but the story is real, and one we hear quite often in the Penn Memory Center social work office. Informal, unpaid family caregivers are at risk of experiencing caregiver burden, evidenced by sadness, isolation, stress, frustration, loneliness, guilt, anxiety, and fear. Fortunately, psychosocial interventions can help. Psychotherapy teaches caregivers to adapt coping skills, improve quality of life, and explore an understanding of self and their relationship with care recipients. Therapy can also help caregivers reduce symptoms of depression, agitation, and sleep disturbance, while also reducing subjective burden and reactivity to care recipients’ behaviors.

There are several forms of therapy that have proven to be effective in reducing caregiver burden:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) places an emphasis on problem-solving and modifying negative thoughts and behaviors

• Psychodynamic Therapy focuses on exploring and addressing past experiences and how they might be having an effect on the individual in the present day

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes the problem-solving approach of CBT and couples it with a focus on acceptance of unchangeable circumstances, such as a loved one’s dementia diagnosis

Ultimately, the effectiveness of therapy is based on each individual’s unique needs and the fit with the therapist’s style. It sometimes takes meeting with several therapists to find the one that is the best fit.

Psychotherapy can be accessed by finding a licensed professional, such as a social worker, clinical psychologist, licensed professional counselor, or marriage and family therapist). Therapists can be found through referrals from other providers, word of mouth, and through online platforms, such as Psychology Today. Therapy ranges in price and can be paid for out-of-pocket or through health insurance, based on each therapist’s policies. If a therapist is out of network with your insurance plan, they may offer you a sliding scale fee based on your income.

The staff at Penn Memory Center is here to help individuals experiencing dementia and their loved ones. The Caring Difference program offers a variety of services to help caregivers prevent or reduce caregiver burden. These services include individual psychotherapy, caregiver education classes, caregiver support groups, a yearly caregiver retreat, open access to health educators, and referrals to other supportive services, such as the Alzheimer’s Association.

More from our guest author: My name is Laura Vargas, and I’m a clinical social work intern at Penn Memory Center. I’m in the final semester of my Master of Social Work at Penn’s School of Social Policy and Practice with certifications in gerontology and in health-related social work. At Penn Memory Center, I work with patients and families on a care-management, as well as therapeutic level. I believe in giving a voice to everybody and I strive to empower the individuals that we work with so that they may age with dignity and their families can feel prepared and supported when confronting the challenges that may come with diagnoses of dementia. I want the patients and families that we work with to know that they can reach out for help whenever needed.

Shop Lilly Pulitzer, Support PMC

Join the Penn Memory Center on Sunday, March 31, to shop Lilly Pulitzer’s new spring collection.

Between noon and 6 p.m., “sweets and sips” will be served alongside information about the Penn Memory Center and our research and social work programs. Ten percent of proceeds will be donated to the Penn Memory Center.

Lilly Pulitzer is located in Suburban Square, 25 Coulter Avenue, in Ardmore.

Now Enrolling: ‘Time Out’ Program

Time Out, an award-winning mentorship and respite care program, is recruiting students and families. Private respite care often costs more than $20 an hour, but Time Out care providers will be available for $8.50 an hour for up to 10 hours per week. For more information about the program and services provided, click here.

Families who would like to register or learn more should contact Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW, at alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-360-0257.

College students who would like to register or learn more should contact Roynell Sanders at timeout@temple.edu and register for an information session at http://tinyurl.com/timeout2019.

Upcoming Events

Memory in Motion is a free dance class tailored to meet the challenges of people living with dementia and their caregivers. The class incorporates simple, adaptive movements set to musical favorites from the ’40s to present day in an open and accepting environment. The class is held every Monday between March 11 and April 22 from 11:00-11:45 at BalletX, 1923 Washington Ave. To RSVP, contact Felicia Greenfield at felicia.greenfield@uphs.upenn.edu or 215-662-4523.

Dance for Health, a free weekly dance class for older adults, has returned to the Ralston Center. It’s held every Saturday between March 16 and May 11 (excluding April 20) at 3615 Chestnut Street. The program is open to all adults 55 or older. To RSVP, contact Terrence Casey at tjcasey@upenn.edu or 215-898-9979.

Creative Expression Through Music, a collaboration between PMC and the Curtis Institute of Music, is a new, free program for PMC patients experiencing memory change or those with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia. It’s intended to provide participants with a greater understanding of music, fun new tools for interacting through sound, and creative musical experience that flex their imaginations. Beginners are welcome. Session One will engage participants in collaborative, creative musical experiences and will assess their impact on participants’ mood and well-being. Session Two will focus on creating new music and building the skills and activities of Session One. Registration for Session One is now closed, but Session Two is still enrolling.

Session Two will meet from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. on March 19, 26, April 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. All sessions are held at The Curtis Institute of Music in Lenfest Hall, Room LH314. If you’d like to register or have questions, contact Matthew Volpe at matthew.volpe@uphs.upenn.edu.

Join Bridges to Wealth for a Financial Empowerment Series. Learn how to repair credit, reduce debt, and build wealth! The series consists of two classes on March 19 and 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Both classes will be held at Lucien Blackwell Library, 125 S 52nd St., Philadelphia. The classes are free and open to the public. Lunch will be served.

The next Memory Café will be held on Friday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. There will be a special tasting event with members of Penn Appétit, the University of Pennsylvania’s student-run magazine covering all things food. Memory Café is exclusively for people with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their partners/families. The program is free. Please RSVP to Alison Lynn at 215-360-0257 or alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu. All 2019 dates are posted here.

Moment to Moment is a new, short film about love and resilience in the face of disease. It features Carl Duzen and Susan Jewett, who have been actively involved with PMC for more than five years. Duzen, a former physics teacher, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014 by PMC Co-Director David Wolk, MD. His wife, Jewett, is an artist and former art teacher. The film will premiere at 5:00 p.m. (doors open at 4:30 p.m.) on Thursday, April 25 at the Jordan Medical Education Center, 3400 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia. Tickets are free, but RSVP is required.

Sincerely,

The PMC Communications Team

Terrence Casey, Joyce Lee, Janissa Delzo, Linnea Langkammer, and Sharnita Midgett