Page 20 - Christiana Care Focus January 2018

VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION
Evergreen Center supports families struggling with Alzheimer’s
Because of a family history of Alzheimer’s, Fran Heinig said she and her husband Jeff recognized his symptoms of the disease early and were able to manage them on their own for a while. Married for 34 years, the Yorklyn couple was well-established in a community of friends and supported by family nearby. Yet, as her husband’s symptoms progressed, she knew the time had come to seek help. The disease was changing their lives completely.
At first, Mrs. Heinig took Jeff to Evergreen Center just two days a week. Before long, he wanted to go every day. She says he seems happier, and the extra support gives her a chance to catch up with the daily activities of life — cleaning, laundry, dental appointments and time with grandchildren and friends — that often fall by the wayside when a relative becomes a full-time caregiver. The Evergreen Center staff works with families to se- lect a schedule that works best. For some, select respite days offer
The staff at Christiana Care’s Evergreen Center serve adults with Alzheimer’s disease, like Jeff Heinig, with excellence and love.
the ideal support.
Alzheimer’s is a slow- progressing form of dementia that gradually robs people
of their memory and the ability to perform daily
tasks. As many as 17,000 Delawareans over the age
of 65 are currently living
with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. That number is expected to climb by nearly 30 percent over the next decade. Nationally, a new case is diagnosed almost every minute.
More than 50,000 Delawareans bear the unpaid costs of caring for loved
ones facing an unforgiving dementia-related diagnosis.
An online search led her to Christiana Care’s Evergreen Center, an adult day care program operated by the Christiana Care Visiting Nurse Association. She scheduled a tour, and by its conclusion she was confident that this “hidden gem” in suburban Wilmington was the place for her husband and the answer to her own need for respite.
The Evergreen Center, which has served families facing Alzheimer’s now for three decades, is the only Alzheimer’s- specific adult day program in Delaware. Supported through a grant from the Delaware Health and Social Services Division
of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, the program is offered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Evergreen Center’s wide variety of daily activities — dancing, exercise, crafts, parties, music and more — allow the friends who attend to enjoy each other’s company, reminisce about cherished memories and chat about current events.
“You make little adjustments as behaviors change until it starts taking up your whole day, from being the chauffeur and caregiv- er to remembering what he wore yesterday so he doesn’t hang it back in the closet and wear it again tomorrow,” she said. “Laugh- ing and humor get you through for a while, but eventually it gets to a point where it becomes dangerous to do this on your own, especially if your loved one starts wandering away, as Jeff did.”
‘We are their respite’
Program Director Brooke Groff, BSN, RN, CDP, said the Evergreen Center’s full-day model of therapy, recreation and cognitive skill-building features stimulating activities that help participants with social skills, stress management and self- confidence. Nutritionally balanced meals and snacks provide further opportunity for socialization. | CONTINUED
20 • FOCUS JANUARY 2018