Day Respite Social Club is offered on a weekly basis at churches and other locations. It provides engagement activities for clients including arts & crafts, music therapy, pet therapy, and games while also giving caregivers time to take care of themselves.
Support groups provide an opportunity to share challenges and solutions as caregivers gain important knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia from other caregivers.
We offer different types of educational courses for caregivers and community members on a regular basis.
Counseling provides individuals or families with the opportunity to share private and personal information to trained professionals where they may not feel comfortable sharing with family or in a group setting. Offered virtually or in-person.
The Alzheimer’s Project mission is to provide comfort, support, and assistance to persons with memory disorders and their caregivers across the Big Bend area.
Alzheimer’s Project is a non-profit organization funded by grants and private donations. Your generosity, both in time and financial support, helps us offer our services to clients at little to no cost.
Our goal is to help caregivers sustain a healthy quality of life as they care for their loved one and to provide a comfortable, dignified, quality of life for people living with dementia. In many cases our support helps delay the institutionalization of those living with the disease. Our support groups, respite and counseling services help caregivers stay physically and emotionally healthy. We also deliver professional expertise to the big bend through seminars, conferences and training courses.
“Nothing could have prepared us for what we were experiencing. My mom, was swinging at the air, yelling, “Get away from me!” completely unaware of me or my dad’s presence. My dad and I looked at each other in horror. At no time in my life, not as a little girl or as a grown woman, had I ever seen my dad look so scared. Somehow, in that moment, I instinctively knew that my mom could no longer carry me. This woman, who had served as our family’s rolodex, calendar, and personal assistant in every way you could imagine, now needed our assistance. My dad, taking the lead as a husband and a father, gently told my mom that she was okay. My mom, the perpetual southern belle, defiantly yelled at him with all of the conviction in the world, “You don’t see them? Somebody take me inside!” My dad seemed to crumble inside, he looked at me helplessly. I looked at my mom and said, “Mom, you are inside honey. Nobody or nothing will get you.” Whatever it was that triggered that occurrence seemed to dissipate because my mom said, “Oh,” and calmly laid back down on her hospital bed. Life, as our family had known it had changed. We’d always managed to dodge bullets. Illnesses that had taken others out, we had beaten by the grace of God. Diabetes…beat it. Stroke…beat it. Cancer…beat it…and then came dementia. This illness creeps up on you and by the time you realize that it’s attacking your loved one, you’re already knee deep in it. I’ve spent my career helping people-- whether it’s through their personal lives or through their professions. It’s a passion that I inherited from my parents, who owned a learning center that helped several generations within our community for over 40 years. Now I found myself in a situation in which I couldn’t help my own mother. That hurt. That hurt a lot. Out of sheer desperation and frustration I looked for help on the internet and discovered the Alzheimer’s Project. By the time I finally showed up for my first support group meeting at Temple Israel—doing a wheelie with my SUV in the parking lot, running up the stairs into the Temple, barging into the room looking like Medusa and breathing fire like Godzilla… I was a MESS! We had the financial means, and the familial support to begin aggressively easing my mom’s discomfort and attacking this disease—but we still didn’t know what we were really dealing with; that’s where the Project, as I call it, became an extended part of our family. Through their services such as the support groups, the caregivers’ classes, and respite care, we have been able to find dew in this desert. My mom really enjoys the social and creative aspect of respite care. Being an introvert like myself, she was hesitant to attend her first meeting; however, now she looks forward to socializing with people who may be in various stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s. She is able to pour into others like she’s done all of her life—it helps her to feel normal again. Likewise, she is also able to receive the help that she needs at this stage in her life—not only from the staff but from those who like her, are on this journey as well. For years our family had dodged many bullets. The bullet with dementia’s name on it nicked us. But thanks to God’s grace through the Alzheimer’s Project, I know that we will beat this too.”
“Caregiving is hard, exhausting work. I’ve been a caregiver for a long time, but full time caregiving began about 18 months ago after my mother Patricia moved to our home. This quarantine has caused Patricia to become a bit slower and quieter. Now that volunteers have resumed visiting, I witnessed Patricia exhibit uncharacteristic verbal aggression. This really disturbed me so I chatted with Alzheimer’s Project staff and was reminded the volunteer is there to allow me, the caregiver, to step back and relax. A good reminder, as I need that time even if it’s just to sit in silence and enjoy a cup of tea on the patio. The highlight of Patricia’s week used to be Alzheimer’s Project social club; then COVID arrived. We still enjoy a small piece of social club, like art, sing-alongs, exercises and coffee hour through the Facebook activities. It’s not the same as meeting in person but it does bring a presence of another, and that is helpful for us both. This caregiving is challenging and fun as well as frustrating and rewarding; I just never know which it will be at any given day… or moment. I’m grateful to know the Alzheimer’s Project staff are just a click or call away.”
“The Alzheimer’s Project services have helped tremendously! My mother, Lynda, participates in Virtual Bingo, the Virtual Sing-a-Long, and Virtual Coffee Chat each week. Mom was always a very social person, and it has been so good for her to have people to interact with because it stimulates her mind. These activities give her something to look forward to and helps her feel important! Because of the socialization, sometimes I can see her “old spark” come back as she remembers and talks about certain things. She even looks forward to the events and remembers them! As her daughter and caregiver, “You just don’t know how much it has helped! There have been so many changes, and it has been really good for her to have other people to interact with. People with dementia often tell the same stories and ask the same questions over and over again, which can be challenging sometimes. I am so grateful to have others who are willing to listen to her stories and talk to her. Having a helping hands helps everyone have more patience.”
“In 2012, I retired early to care full-time for my wife, Delane, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I never had a friend or family member who had Alzheimer’s, so how to manage her care was a scary endeavor. I was frightened of the prospect of eventually having to put her in a memory care facility where we would be apart and the cost might totally drain our financial resources. Beyond the stress of caregiving, I had to deal with the added stress associated with all of the unique legal and financial issues associated with my wife’s illness. It felt like I had a large puzzle in front of me; I could not match any of the pieces. In September 2014, as her disease progressed, I began to research sources to assist with her care. To say the task was daunting was an understatement. I had the good fortune to meet a staff member from the Alzheimer’s Project who told me all about its offerings and, in particular, the adult day respite programs known fondly as the Social Clubs. As a veteran, I was also told about an upcoming in-house respite care program provided by AmeriCorps through the Alzheimer’s Project. Both services are offered at no cost. In December 2014, I started taking Delane to the day respite program, at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. This became her place to go every Friday. On Friday mornings, I’d drop her off and she and I were greeted by the wonderful staff and volunteers. Her cup of coffee, fruit and a pastry would be served when she arrived. I knew how much she enjoyed seeing the small children that came to sing and visit with the group. She liked the music therapy sessions. I knew her day would be filled with love and that she would be taken care of in such a special way. What struck me the most about the volunteers were their kindness, compassion, and selflessness. On several occasions, I got to know all the Alzheimer’s Project staff. Their dedication, commitment and professionalism were abundantly obvious. My stepdaughter, Lori, who lives in Atlanta, remarked that her city had nothing that compared to this organization. In March 2015, the AmeriCorps program was launched, and I got in-house help for a few hours a day, at least twice a week. I could leave my house, read a book, or do a project without worry or interruption. I started to have a semblance of a life again. More importantly, I no longer felt like I was alone. On several occasions, I utilized other valuable services provided; I attended support group meetings, seminars on caregiving topics, caregiver appreciation day events and the annual Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Training Conferences, which included workshops on legal and financial issues. The information helped answer many of the questions I had as her caregiver, healthcare surrogate and personal representative. By the end of 2016, I felt like I had completed most of the “everything Alzheimer’s” puzzle. Delane passed away at home on March 15, 2017 from complications with her Alzheimer’s disease. I realized how lucky she was for the quality of life she had in her final years, despite this horrible disease. I also realize how lucky I was to keep her at home and maintain my sanity through it all.”
“When our doctor said the word “Alzheimer’s” as my husband’s diagnosis, I didn’t know what to think. What did this mean for us? What do we do? Where do we go for help? Can we get through this? I was scared and didn’t know where to turn. Discovering the Alzheimer’s Project was the most significant blessing in our Alzheimer’s journey. Their counseling services, respite day program, network of resources, and support group meetings, made all the difference. Of particular importance to me were the support group meetings. Sharing our story, my fears, my questions and then problem solving with other caregivers who were walking the same path, who understood in a way others could not, was so incredibly valuable. Many Alzheimer’s caregivers become seriously ill or die before the person for whom they are caring because of the stress, helplessness, and exhaustion associated with the disease. I’m convinced that without the Alzheimer’s project, I wouldn’t be here today.”
