Helplessness Antidote:
Care Givers

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, January 14 and February 25, 2007
Show 402

Elvira cares for her 83-year-old mother who has Alzheimer's disease. "I let her do as much as possible around the house. Doing things affects her worth," says Elvira. "It's important not to foster helplessness. Sometimes you can do too much," says Leeza Gibbons, founder of the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation. Co-founder Dr. Jamie Huysman says, "Treating someone who has Alzheimer's with respect and giving them tasks to do is the antidote to helplessness. It's important to empower and energize."