Helene Bergman

Caring.com Expert

About

Helene Bergman, LMSW, is a certified geriatric care manager (C-ASWCM) and owner of Elder Care Alternatives, a professional geriatric care management business in New York City. She consults with nursing homes and daycare programs to develop specialized programs for Alzheimer's patients.

Bergman speaks frequently on memory and aging, Alzheimer's disease caregiving, and other eldercare topics for assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, and corporations. She has led many caregiver support groups for the Alzheimer's Association and coauthored the book Guiding the Alzheimer's Caregiver: A Handbook for Counselors.

Bergman received her master's degree in social work from Hunter School of Social Work following a career in education. She was previously affiliated with the NYU Aging and Dementia Research Center, where she was a family counselor and research associate. She was on the advisory board of the Brookdale Center on Aging Certificate Program in Professional Care Management and taught the center's seminar on home healthcare.

She served as the president of the Greater New York Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers from 2000 to 2004. Bergman presently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (NAPGCM).

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Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Tuesday October 04, 2011

    1. Is interrupting others a symptom of dementia?

      Answer - Having conversations with the give and take is often difficult for persons with dementia. Either they are unable to follow the flow of the discussion and may respond incorrectly or they withdraw and become very quiet. At other times they may repeat what another is saying (called echoalia...

  2. Sunday August 21, 2011

    1. What can I do about my husband with hiding money?

      Answer - Maintaining control over ones finances is a struggle for Alzheimer patients especially at early stages of the disease. It represents their sense of self esteem and self determination. They may go to the ATM, remove hundreds of dollars and not remember where they hid it. Without a caregiver, they may go every day and deplete their funds...

  3. Wednesday August 10, 2011

    1. How do you cope with time confusion in dementia patients?

      Answer - Alzheimer patients often become disoriented to time. Despite being able to read the clock, they may ask repeatedly what time it is and, as you said, misperceive the 'passing' of time. When they leave the house, they may immediately want to return or when waiting just a few minutes at a doctor's appointment, they may complain they have been waiting for hours...

  4. Wednesday July 27, 2011

    1. Is my wife's short term memory and dissociative thinking caused by her Alzheimer's disease?

      Answer - Alzheimer's Disease affects the entire thinking process at all stages and although there are common cognitive losses, each afflicted person manifests impairments differently. Some persons lose the gift of speech and have difficulty finding words, confabulate or speak tangentially...

  5. Saturday July 23, 2011

    1. Would a move drastically effect my mother's Alzheimer's disease?

      Answer - Moving a person with Alzheimer's may or may not have adverse affects. It depends upon the stage of the disease and whether one is still oriented to place- whether he or she retains familiarity with her environment. It depends upon one's prior adapation to change and whether in fact she has moved often and how well she coped with the moves...

    2. What is a good way to keep track of my mother's daily activities?

      Answer - You are on the right track. As a Care Manager, I set up a Daily Log in my client's homes and the Home Health Aides write a daily narrative. I provide a model that includes: nutrition (specific meal foods- quantity and quality), liquid intake, medication administration, hygiene, activities, special events and behavioral changes...

  6. Monday July 18, 2011

    1. How do I deal with my husband's delusions and wanting to go home without an argument?

      Answer - Disorientation for an Alzheimer patient is often reflected in "I want to go home" statements. The short term memory loss has advanced to the point where they may not remember their present setting but instead retrieve the memory of where they lived from long ago. Thus, they feel afraid and in a strange setting and yearn for the comfort of their 'home'...

    2. If my mom with severe Alzheimer's is sleeping a lot, does that mean the end is near?

      Answer - If your mother is sleeping alot, it could infer that her nutrition and hydration are being impacted.......and that her progressive lack of activity is affecting her entire body system. Thus, if her system begins to shut down due to lack of 'fuel' she would be advancing toward the end...

    3. Are Mom's mood swings getting to the point where she needs to be placed in a nursing facility?

      Answer - Mood swings are very common with dementia and can be unpredictable. Often patients cannot sustain socially appropriate behaviors when they misperceive reality or have impulses they cannot control. These outbursts can be managed pharmacologically and I suggest you contact either a psychiatrist or neurologist who is very familiar with dementia...

  7. Wednesday July 13, 2011

    1. Does Alzheimer's disease progress more slowly is you have a high IQ?

      Answer - The correlation between intelligence and the progression of Alzheimer's is an interesting and debatable issue. Often you need to break down the IQ (intelligence) into its specific components to evaluate whether it is true. What is the specific ability of the person? Is it abstract thinking? Insight...

  8. Tuesday July 12, 2011

    1. My husband's symptoms seem to have improved, does he really have Alzheimer's?

      Answer - It is possible that your husband has a variation of Alzheimer's (for instance, Lewy Body disease) that may progress at a different pace. It is always helpful to get a full neuro-psychiatric evaluation to understand the diagnosis and the progression. Multi-infarct dementia will progress differently than Alzheimer's as will Frontal Lobe dementia...

    2. Is there such a thing as psychological dementia?

      Answer - There is a diagnosis called 'pseudo-dementia' and this refers to a dementia that is more 'psychological' rather than neurological. Symptoms may mimic 'dementia' (like memory loss, disorientation) or even be 'psychotic' (delusions, hallucinations) but thorough evaluation (including battery of tests for depression) can give a differential diagnosis...

  9. Wednesday June 15, 2011

    1. Any suggestions for helping my husband accept that he may have Alzheimer's?

      Answer - Although it might appear that your husband is in 'denial' about his diagnosis, it is also possible that his dementia has progressed and has compromised both his memory of getting the diagnosis and his insight into reality. At an earlier point of time, he understood and accepted the diagnosis and demonstrated insight and good judgment as he told others...

  10. Thursday April 14, 2011

    1. Should we move in with my mother in law who has Alzheimer's disease?

      Answer - From the way you describe your caregiving role for your mother-in-law, it sounds like you are doing a full time job that might not change if you move in with her. If she were able to maintain some independence and be safe and secure living alone, then moving in would not be necessary...

  11. Saturday April 09, 2011

    1. My aunt has decided not to eat, what can I do to help her?

      Answer - It is not uncommon for an older adult to stop eating but there are many reasons for this behavior. It is imperative that the 'why' be identified immediately. If the individual is cognitively intact and has insight into her behavior, than she can answer the question. She would be able then to say, "I don't want to live any longer" for instance...

  12. Saturday March 05, 2011

    1. How do we get my father with dementa to stop visiting our neighbor?

      Answer - Alzheimer patients need structured and stimulating activity during the day or they will make their own. They may want to go to 'work' or visit a neighbor since this offers them a feeling of security and comfort. In the early stages of the disease, they may make a dozen calls to a familiar number (family...

  13. Wednesday March 02, 2011

    1. Should we tell my mother-in-law with Alzheimer's that we are taking her on a trip?

      Answer - You sound very perceptive when you say "every time she is asked to go somewhere she refuses". Often, when you tell an Alzheimer patient about a future event or ask if they would like to go somewhere, they usually answer that way....or they suffer such anxiety that they keep asking, "Where are we going...

  14. Saturday February 26, 2011

    1. Is it reasonable to want o move my wife with Alzheimer's and I to a larger apartment?

      Answer - Jim, It is probable that you and your wife moved to a senior community for socialization and support in addition to the meal plan. Considering your wife's dementia and your advancing age, it is a good idea to stay in such an environment that offers you support when you need it...

    2. How can I get my family to stop talking about things that upset my mother in law with dementia?

      Answer - It sounds like you are trying to encourage visitors and you can further help by giving them a list of acceptable topics. Perhaps they do not know what to say and grope for the topics that give them the most comfort. If you compose a list of ten topics that will not sadden your mother-in-law perhaps they will no longer bring up the 'taboo' topics...

  15. Wednesday February 23, 2011

    1. My mother with dementia keeps threatening to kill me, how should I handle this?

      Answer - Behavior changes often accompany dementia and unfortunately, family members on the 'frontline' are often the target of verbal and sometimes physical aggressiveness. Your mother appears to be suffering from delusions, a very common symptom of dementia...

  16. Thursday February 17, 2011

    1. How can I get my husbands old friends to visit him?

      Answer - Maintaining relationships with friends, and even at times with ones family support system, can be a challenge for Alzheimer caregivers. If the disease has progressed beyond an early stage and the person's communication is impaired, others may withdraw because they feel helpless...

  17. Wednesday February 16, 2011

    1. How do I know is my husband's memory loss is Alzheimer's?

      Answer - Many people begin to wonder whether forgetting a name or losing their keys is a sign of normal aging, depression or Alzheimer's. You are not alone! There are red flags to help you identify symptoms of early Alzheimers; check out the "10 signs of Alzheimer's Disease" on the Alzheimer Association website {Alzheimer's Association...

  18. Monday January 31, 2011

    1. How can we control my dad's violent behavior and find a care facility that will accept him?

      Answer - Persons with dementia, whether vascular or Alzheimer's in type, may experience fear and confusion especially when they are in congregate settings. They may 'act out', as you mentioned, to protect themselves against perceived danger. When someone approaches, they may delude that they will be hurt unless they 'lash out'...

    2. Is it normal for someone with Alzheimer's to stay in bed all day?

      Answer - When there is a change in behavior, and the individual with dementia cannot explain this change, caregivers must initially check to see if there is an acute condition precipating the change. Perhaps your mom is experiencing pain or discomfort from a medical problem such as a urinary tract infection...

  19. Thursday January 20, 2011

    1. Is Fecal Incontinence a Symptom of Dementia?

      Answer - Incontinence can be a symptom of many disorders and if your mother's fecal incontinence is a change, it is always advised to check this out with the physician to rule out any other cause. It could be a side effect of a new medication (i.e aricept) or an infection/flu...