NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Clarksville resident Donna Miller said her mother's personality began to change after her father passed away.
"We chalked it up to their marriage was 74 years. She just was deeply, deeply in grieving and mourning."
But after seeing a doctor, her mother was diagnosed with dementia.
"My mother was actually glad to have a diagnosis because, as she would put it, 'I'm not crazy. There's a reason for why I'm doing what I'm doing,'" said Miller.
Miller's mother recently passed away, but not before finding professional care at a local facility — a gift that experts worry may become harder to find as the workforce shortages continue.
At Amada Senior Care in Murfreesboro, CEO Ken Fehr said the majority of his clients receiving home health care have some form of Alzheimer's or dementia.
"You have an individual that's relying on you," said said Fehr. "It's a very big responsibility."
That's why he said his caregivers don't go into the field without proper training.
"We need to know the ins and outs of how to deflect mood changes. We need to know how to keep environments consistent so there's no delta or change."
But the workforce is facing a serious shortage.
"There is a significant burnout rate when caring for somebody with Alzheimer's and a lot of it has to do with the mental strain," said Fehr.
A recent report from the Tennessee Alzheimer's Association sheds light on just how bad the shortage is. It cites a lack of training and low wages as some of the factors that contribute to the problem.
But at Amada, Fehr said the key to retaining caregivers is the culture.
"Because if you can build a culture and align it to core values — that's what keeps people to stay to have that passion to want to keep helping."
