The Caregiver s Advocate March 2013 December 2012

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1 December 2012 RCI Celebrates Caregivers of the Year! Each year the CARE-NETS are given the opportunity to nominate family, volunteer and para-professional caregivers in their region. In the last newsletter, you met the Family Caregiver of the Year and in the next newsletter you will be introduced to the Para-Professional Caregiver of the Year. Lucille Brock-Thomas receives Georgia Volunteer Caregiver of the Year Award from Mrs. Rosalynn Carter. Fifteen years ago, Ms. Lucille traded in thirty one years of dedication to her local school system as a class room teacher to become a fulltime caregiver. She helped care for many family members and other older adults while growing up. She lived in a small community and they always took care of each other. Then as an adult she moved her 85 year old mother in with her, even though she had other siblings, Ms. Lucille became her fulltime caregiver. Ms. Lucille spent some years working at senior centers, food shelters and with civic organizations while sharing her knowledge of caregiving. In 2000 Ms. Lucille attended The National AARP Convention, where she listened to a seminar on How to Be a Caregiver. She was then put in touch with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who referred her in to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving. The RCI helped Ms. Lucille acquire information and assistance to start her own Volunteer Caregiver Program. The program has been successful for twelve years now. Ms. Lucille is the Executive Director of Caregivers Resource and Support System, (CR & SS) REACH OUT and Touch Agency, Inc. Ms. Lucille stated All the work at CR & SS, Agency is by volunteers. Ms. Lucille states, Thanks be to God that we are still doing greater work to help give all elderly and disabled persons a better quality of life. Johnson and Johnson, Inc. sponsors the RCI Summit and Gala Awards Banquet each year. Georgia Southwestern s Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving was created in 1987 in honor of former First Lady and GSW alumna Rosalynn Carter. Through research, education, and training, the RCI promotes the mental health and well being of individ- Georgia CARE-NET Coalition Newsletter is publication sponsored by the Georgia CARE-NET Rosalynn Coalition Carter Newsletter Institute is for a publication Caregiving sponsored. by the The Advocate is designed Rosalynn to support Carter and Institute promote for the Caregiving work of Georgia s. 12 CARE-NET s. 1

2 Message from the Executive Director Dr. Leisa Easom Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving presents the ROAD Memory Screening Program We have all occasionally forgotten what day it is, missed an appointment, or misplaced our car keys. You may wonder if this is normal aging or is it a sign of a more serious problem? We can help you answer that question with a free and confidential Memory Screening. The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is now offering a new memory loss screening program. This confidential screening can be conducted in the home. As we initiate this free program, the screening is limited to a 50 mile radius of Americus. We hope to expand our outreach in the future. ROAD stands for Reaching Out to Assess Dementia. Anyone, regardless of your age, who is concerned about possible memory loss, should have this screening. Our trained screener will come to your home or meet at the Phoebe/Sumter Caregiver Support Center in Americus, GA. It will take about 30 minutes to complete the memory loss screening. The score on the screening tool will show if there is an indication of a memory problem at that time. If you score that there is possibly a memory loss problem, you will receive a confidential copy of your questionnaire to discuss with your physician or health care provider. Our goal is to help you stay mentally active through all stages of your life, so we encourage you to call for your free and confidential Memory Screening appointment today if you reside in Americus or within a 50 mile radius. A recent study (June 2012) by General Electric and the Working Mother Research Institute found that 50% of families wished their loved one had been diagnosed earlier and 84% of clients, themselves, had wished for earlier recognition of the dementia so that they could have had referrals, participated more in making decisions about medical options and benefited from appropriate interventions. About 5.2 million people in the United States have Alzheimer s disease, and almost half of them are in the early stages of the disease. That means 1 out of 9 over the age of 65 have the disease. In the coming years, these numbers are expected to grow. Data indicates that as Americans live longer, more of us will develop dementia in our older years. Another finding is that knowledge and techniques are helping doctors detect signs of the disease earlier than before. An earlier diagnosis gives people with the disease and their families more time to get the right treatment and to plan for the future. Our goal in the ROAD Program at the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is to provide screening for memory loss for early referral and let you know you are not alone. Stay active in your care and decision making. Call today for your screening

3 The Caregiver Support Group with the Southwest Georgia CARE-NET. This meeting was held on January 10, Laura Bagwell, CARE-NET Coordinator for The Georgia Link CARE-NET is manning her booth at the Senior Expo! Great Job! Welcome. Leesa Rickman, CARE-NET Coordinator for Middle Georgia. The Senior Expo with the Georgia Link CARE-NET. The February Caregiver Support Group in the South West GA CARE-NET. Northeast CARE-NET meeting March 19, 2013 Coastal Georgia CARE-NET meeting on February 26,

4 The Caregiver s Advocate On March 12, 2013 members from the Rosalynn Carter Institute, CARE-NET Coordinators and other members gathered for their quarterly Coalition meeting. This was a Back to Basics meeting. The group shared many of their success stories. Michelle Kelley (Northeast GA CARE-NET) and Mary Whitfield (Middle GA CARE-NET) led the conversation on how they make Caregiver Award banquets so much fun, informative yet inspiring. Both CARE-NETS show their appreciation for caregivers in such warm and loving ways. Cynthia Wade (South West GA CARE-NET) shared her wisdom about individuals together each month, with support groups and lunch and learn sessions. Cynthia is also very successful with their Caregiver banquet. Kathy Keith (Heart of GA CARE-NET) advised the group on getting caregiver nominees for the upcoming nominations. The group shared and received many pointers for their upcoming activities. After lunch, Dr. Easom and Elaine Larkin shared upcoming dates to remember and future activities with the group. Ideas were shared for topics during regional meetings. Everyone appreciated the interaction with the groups open conversation during this meeting, and many great ideas were shared. The next meeting is June 10,

5 Caregivers of the Year It s that time of year again, when the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is looking for great caregivers in each CARE-NET Region. Of course we think all caregivers are great, so tell us why the one you know deserves the award of Caregiver of the Year. There are three categories, Family Caregiver, Volunteer Caregiver and Para-Professional Caregiver. The nominees must be submitted to each Coordinator by July 1, 2013 to be eligible. One winner from each category will be chosen and presented a certificate, a glided rose and a cash prize by Former First Lady Mrs. Rosalynn Carter on the evening of October 25, 2013 at the RCI Gala. If you know someone, call Elaine Larkin at for information on where to send your nomination letter. Each nomination must go through the Regional CARE-NET Coordinator for which the caregiver lives and serves. Southwest Georgia District Spring Conference Hosted by Phoebe Sumter Medical Center Auxiliary On March 13, 2013 Dr. Easom, Executive Director of the RCI, presented to the group the many programs the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is involved in at the present. Whether it be about Operation Family Caregiver, or the Road Program (Reaching Out and Assessing Dementia), or about all the different trainings they are involved in. Elaine Larkin assisted Dr. Easom by answering questions at the end of the presentation and at the end of the event. About 160 volunteers from hospitals all over South Georgia were present and were quite interested in the programs that were presented by RCI. RCI would like to thank Cricket Johnson, President of PSMC Auxiliary and Joan Cordell, Administrative Assistant for the Auxiliary for the invitation to speak. If you would like for RCI to speak at your event, please call for more information. 5

6 Moving Day at RCI Mandy (8 months pregnant) didn t have much to move, in addition to herself! Furniture boxes piling up out front of building a few days before move in. Elaine says the next Coalition meeting will have a luau theme, thanks to Gayle. Gayle asks herself Keep it or toss it? Laura wants to be shipped some place warm and exotic! Dr. Easom is relieved and happy that this day has finally arrived! Angel says I will not move again! Angela at her desk. Cindy is almost moved in. Amanda getting her morning energy pop tart to give her strength for picking up boxes!. Kelly trying to figure it out. She is looking for someone to hang her white boards 6

7 Survey Results This fall you participated in the Caregivers in Georgia survey developed by AARP Georgia and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving. Thank you for taking the time to participate. We wanted to share the results with you, and to provide the follow-up that you requested. Results showed that 77% of caregivers taking the survey were interested in learning more about what resources and services were available to assist them in their caregiving role. A total of 58% of caregivers taking the survey stated they chose to provide home care for their loved one to keep him/her close or because they believed they could provide a better level of care. 61% of caregivers taking the survey stated that other family members assisted with care, but not equally. 40% of caregivers taking the survey said they would like additional tools to secure an adequate retirement. The most significant challenge faced by 67% of caregivers taking the survey is assisting the person in their care with legal, financial or medical issues. Training on caregiving strategies and techniques would benefit 61% of caregivers taking the survey; while 55% also stated that substitute relief help to ease the constant around the clock responsibility, and a caregivers support group within their community where caregiving experiences and methods are shared would benefit them. May is National Mental Health Month When I first began working in the mental health field in Georgia, there was such stigma attached to mental illness that no one wanted to be identified with the issue...i thought the most important thing I could do back then was talk about the issue publicly to try to bring it out of the closet make it an acceptable subject of conversation. - Former First Lady and Carter Center Mental Health Program Founder Rosalynn Carter, from Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis. To read this complete article and others from The Carter Center, click on this link: Operation: Family Caregiver This free program is brought to your home, and is built around your specific needs. Over a 4 to 6 month period, your caregiver coach will work with you to provide information and personalized tools designed to make your caregiving responsibilities more manageable. Don t go it alone! Free support is available! Call Now! If you or someone you know could benefit from this program, please call today for additional information or to schedule a confidential home visit. 7

8 Georgia Southwestern cuts ribbon for new RCI home Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) will hold its second and final ribbon cutting Thursday, May 2nd at 5 p.m. for the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex. Celebrating the completion of the Complex s second building, the event will be highlighted by the unveiling of a statue featuring GSW alumna and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. The public is invited. At roughly 35,000 square feet, the new building is home to the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving and the Georgia Southwestern Psychology and Sociology Department. The red-brick building boasts a full-glass entrance with modern design elements in the interior. The building includes ample office, classroom and training space for both the RCI and the Psychology and Sociology Department. The RCI also has a new resource library which houses books and other printed information on caregiving and is open and available for individuals navigating their caregiving journey. The Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex is adjacent to GSW s Education Center and the Wheatley Administration Building. The first phase of the project provided a state-of-the-art classroom and clinical space for the School of Nursing. The RCI Staff: pictured sitting: Gayle Alston, Dr. Leisa Easom, Laura Bauer. Standing: Amanda Dean, Kelly Turman, Elaine Larkin, Angel Ramos, Cynthia Holloway, Angela Foster and Mandy Barr. 8

9 CARE-NET Calendar Meeting dates for 2013 Atlanta Regional 4/25 & 7/25 Central Savannah 4/24 & 7/24 Coastal Georgia 5/14 & 8/27 Heart of Georgia 6/12 & 9/4 & 12/4 GA Mtns./Legacy Link 5/8 Middle Georgia 5/16 & 7/18 & 9/19 Northeast Georgia 6/18 & 9/17 Southeast Georgia 4/17 Southern Crescent 4/30 Southwest Georgia 6/21 & 9/20 West Central Georgia 4/2 For additional information you may contact the CARE-NET Coordinator for each region. Their contact information can be found at: CARE-NET Coalition/ Upcoming Webinars for CARE-NETS April 12, 2013 Mental Health & Dementia/ Disabilities Issues Application to Practice May 3, 2013 Screening Tools for Dementia/ Mental Health June 7, 2013 Substance Abuse Among the Older Adult Population Sponsored by RCI and GDAS 2013 Coalition Meeting Schedule All Meetings will be held at the: Methodist Children s Home Macon, GA 10:00 AM 2:00 PM June 10, 2013 September 17, 2013 December 10, 2013 Do you know someone that would like to receive this newsletter, if so, please share it. Did a friend send you this newsletter? Would you like to be sure you continue to receive it, then sign-up by sending an to: Elaine.larkin@gsw.edu 9

10 ROSALYNN CARTER CHAMPIONS CAREGIVERS Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is a tour de force in the area of purpose. She has lead a purpose driven life and is a powerful champion of caregivers. rosalynn-carter-is-a-care-champion/ ****************************************************************************************** With the beginning of a new year brings new resolution, a new semester and a brand new building. Phase-II-of-GSW-s-Rosalynn-Carter-Health-and-Human-Sciences- Complex-complete ****************************************************************************************** Rosalynn Carter: First Lady of Caregiving How the Rosalynn Carter Institute Is Helping Caregivers FUN FACT President Jimmy Carter has been an ex-president longer than any other president. Thirty two years and counting. Ex-president Herbert Hoover had 31 and a half years. Speakers Bureau Do you need someone to speak to your group? The Rosalynn Carter Institute has professionals in the area of Caregiving and Alzheimer s care who can speak to your church and/or social groups in the communities we serve. Call to start a conversation on how RCI can help. Our goal is to help individuals care for loved ones by sharing our expertise. Presentations can be based on your specific needs in Caregiving. YES! I want to make a tax-deductible contribution to The Rosalynn Carter Institute. Tax ID Enclosed is my donation of $. Name Address City/State/Zip Phone (work) (home) I am making this gift in memory of honor of Name Address Please make check payable to the Rosalynn Carter Institute and send to: 800 Georgia Southwestern State University Drive, Americus, GA You may also contribute online by visiting This gift is to be used as follows: (check one below) Endowment Funds CARE-NET Education and Training Undesignated Funds. Development 10