In 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated the month of November as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. It is still recognized today. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, at that time there were less than two million people with the disease, however, that number has increased to more than five million. Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Many lives change when a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Today, many families are faced with difficult decisions regarding loved ones with Alzheimer’s. Care, financials, and physical and mental health are all of concern. Additionally, the process can also be challenging for caregivers. There are an estimated 16 million caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in the United States.
New Generations Adult Day Center located in Florence provides services specifically for those with Alzheimer’s disease or related conditions. They understand that caring for a loved one can take a toll on family members, which is why they provide adult day care services that can give a much-needed break in addition to benefits for loved ones. The Alzheimer’s Activity Center provides programs and support services for individuals in order to keep them engaged with activities while exercising the brain in a safe environment. The staff is trained to understand Alzheimer’s and they work together to create a welcoming, supportive, and enriching environment. Services include enhancing cognitive skills, stimulating interaction on personal and group levels, encouraging mobility and stability, and nutrition and personal hygiene assistance. While South Carolina requires one caregiver per eight participants, New Generations has one caregiver per five participants in order to better provide individualized attention to those who need it.
Vantage Point, a division of CareSouth Carolina, Inc. in Hartsville has a network called Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), which is a local aging program that provides information and services on a range of assistance for older adults and those who care for them. They disperse respite money to families to help with care. Respite allows a person to take time off from caregiving duties while someone else cares for their loved one. John Belissary, administrator and owner of New Generations Adult Day Center states, “If you’ve ever been a care giver, it’s the toughest job there is. If you think about it, an elderly woman has become a full care provider for her husband. She’s withdrawn herself from society. She can no longer go out to eat with her Red Hat lady friends, play Bridge with her friends, or go play golf or tennis. Her life is consumed with medications, doctor appointments, making sure he eats, bathes, and doesn’t fall… it never ends.” Through Vantage Point, a person can qualify for a grant of $500-$1500 per year to get a provider, whether it’s through New Generations or a home care service, in order to take care of the individual and provide caregivers with a break.
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide and is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. The money goes directly to respite to help with the care of many of our loved ones. “We are put on this earth to help one another and to care for one another,” says John. “That’s what we should be doing. I can’t tell people enough to donate to this research fund so they can continue their search to find a cure. It will directly affect so many people in all of our lives. It’s important we show these people compassion.”
New Generations Adult Day Center
2111 West Jody Rd. | Florence | 843.773.2781
www.newgenerationsadc.com
Book Recommendation for those with loved ones faced with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis:
Still Alice is a 2007 novel by Lisa Genova, set in Boston. The novel is about a woman who suffers early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alice Howland, a 50-year-old woman, is a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned linguistics expert. She is married to an equally successful husband, and they have three grown children. The disease takes hold swiftly, and it changes Alice’s relationship with her family and the world.
For more info or to purchase, visit lisagenova.com.