By J.D. O’Gara

According to the Alzheimer’s Association of America (www.alz.org ), November is National Caregiver Awareness Month, while the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org) recognizes this month as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease, the most common cause of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, while dementia is not a specific disease, but an overall term that describes a group of symptoms. One thing is certain, caregiving and Alzheimer’s go hand-in-hand, and there are local supports for people struggling with the disease and those caring for them.

“Create Your Own Sunshine!” is the logo of Franklin Senior Center’s Sunshine Club, a supportive day program for people with mild to moderate dementia, cognitive decline or social isolation.  Ariel Doggett, Program and Volunteer Coordinator, talked about the Sunshine Club at Franklin Senior Center. 

“We’re the only full day five-day program in the area – a social day program, not a medical model,” Doggett explains. The supportive day program “provides respite for the caregiver, while the loved one is in a safe supportive, engaging program.” Members of the Sunshine club make friends, because the routine, which includes games, music, and physical activity, becomes familiar to them.

“Overall, caregivers love it,” says Doggett. “The program gives caregiver a break. They don’t have to worry about their loved one from 9 – 3 during the day (Monday through Friday).” While participants come home happy, caregivers have had a respite to work, go grocery shopping, or simply participate in daily activities they are unable to do while caring for their loved one.

“We’re finding that a lot of family members are taking on the responsibilities of their aging parents,” says Doggett, “Dementia numbers are skyrocketing, and they’re finding a link between COVID and dementia.” Also, says Doggett, with the cost of living so high, unless the loved one has long-term care insurance, caregivers are deciding to keep family members with diseases like Alzheimer’s home longer to ensure they have enough funds to live the rest of their life in a facility when and if they do enter one. “More care is involved,” says Doggett, who says the demographics of caregivers she sees are trending younger, “We’re seeing people with parents at home and kids in school. Caregivers are burnt out … it’s exhausting.”

Leona Montville, a retired nurse who works in Bellingham Senior Center’s, 3-day Supportive Day Program, echoes what Doggett says. “I really think there’s a definite need for this program. I know that there are a lot of people with family members in the home trying to keep them at home as long as they can. (Supportive Day) gives them a break, as most of them have some form of dementia. We give them a few hours to do what they need to do, and it is also an outlet for the family members, to have something different to do.”

Caregiving itself takes a toll, and more Americans will be taking the stress on as the population ages.

According to an Urban Institute analysis of U.S. Census figures, the number of Americans ages 65 and older will double to 80 million in 2040, while number of adults ages 85+, those who need the most help with basic personal care, will have quadrupled from 2000 to 2040.

Although the median cost of full-time in-home care ($5,200 a month) is less than nursing home care ($9,034 a month) according to A Place for Mom’s 2023 Cost of Long-Term Care and Senior Living report, that cost is difficult to bear for those without long-term care insurance or a lot of assets. 82% of caregivers reported their physical, mental, and financial well-being is at risk, with a large majority putting their parents’ needs above their own. The study found the average family caregiver is 50 years old; with 20% of caregivers over 65. A majority (61%) are women. Most (96%) of family caregivers feel emotionally drained from the day-to-day challenges of caregiving, and 75% who were employed prior to assuming the caregiver role said they have less time to focus on work or have had to quit their jobs altogether to provide care.

Bellingham’s Supportive Day program is open 9 am - 3 pm, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Income-eligible clients may be able to attend our program with some assistance from Tri-Valley Elder Services, Inc. The program includes a continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. Transportation is available at no additional cost to Bellingham residents. For out-of-town members, transportation is made on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please contact Marjorie Warnick, Supportive Day Program Coordinator, at (508)657-2711.

For information on Franklin Senior Center’s Supportive Day program, call (508) 520-4945. The Franklin Senior Center also offers a Memory café on the third Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. for those with memory loss and their caregivers. In addition, they offer an 

Alzheimer’s Support Group for caregivers providing to their loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m., as well as a more general Caregiver Support Group that meets the first Thursday of the month at 1 p.m.

For a good place to begin, caregivers in Massachusetts can check out the Family Caregiver Support Program (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/family-caregiver-support-program) which connects non-paid caregivers or adult family members, age 18+ who care for individuals age 60+ or any individual living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. The program pairs the caregiver with a Caregiver Specialist who provides information and other means of support to family caregivers, helping them create a customized plan.

For those on Medicaid, the Massachusetts Home Care Program (HCP)

https://www.mass.gov/in-home-services assists elderly persons to remain living at home or within the community. This program allows certain family members to be hired and paid as the personal care provider. Visit the website or contact Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs: 800-243-4636, or Massachusetts Age Info: 1-800-243-4636.