Joyce Adams, the previous director, said, \u201cWe’ve had a couple of non-verbal people who spent most of their time in bed. We put music on them that they recognized, and after regular use for a couple of weeks, the patient, who had been non-verbal for a good while, was singing along.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The caregiver\u2019s identity can be lost as they attempt to provide the best care possible for their spouse, parent, loved one, or friend, leaving two people struggling to know who they are. The program’s equal emphasis on the caregiver and the patient is a powerful partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bobo said, \u201cAccording to the Alzheimer’s Association, there were 361,000 caregivers who provided 489,000,000 hours of unpaid care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease in Tennessee in 2021. The value of that care was estimated to be $6,901,000,000! Approximately 66% of these caregivers deal with their own chronic health conditions. The sheer physical, psychological, and emotional toll on caregivers is immense. About 40% of those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease die before their care recipient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caregiver Mary Bicknell said, \u201cThe program opened my eyes to the stress of being a caregiver. I was dealing with my parents and my personal life, and the program allowed me to take time for myself and relax without worrying about how they were getting along\u2014a peace of mind that all was well even when I wasn\u2019t around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trena Cook also found relief through the program. \u201cI am so thankful for the program! It has helped ease my mind of so much worry over not knowing where to start. The caregiver\u2019s list they provided has helped a lot, and it\u2019s a great relief to know there is some financial help available to cover some time off for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a need that is growing exponentially, along with our aging population. The community\u2019s need for the program will be greater than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bobo said, \u201cWe would like to begin a support group for our families. The closest groups at this time are in Murfreesboro and Tullahoma. To add a support group, we will need additional financial support. Our program\u2019s support of these families will become more important as more and more families seek to care for their loved one at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She continued,\u201cTo add this service, we will need to increase the financial support we receive. We are primarily supported by grants from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, The Dandridge Trust, The Healing Trust, The East Tennessee Foundation, The Pat Summit Foundation, United Way of Bedford County, the Evans Family Trust Fund of First Presbyterian Church, and the Walmart Foundation. We also hold fundraisers and seek support from individuals and businesses in our area. This financial support has allowed us to provide monthly home visits at no cost to our families and enables us to reimburse them for respite care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The program is unique because it serves Bedford County residents only, so your contributions go directly to the local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Helping one another find our way when we feel lost\u2014isn\u2019t that the beauty of living in Shelbyville and Bedford County? GN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Caregiver Relief Program of Bedford County educates the community about dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-9839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-january"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/DSC_6853-2-1024x683.jpg\")