A special way of communicating - Alzheimer's Association

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Executive Director’s message Nancy J. Dapper, Executive Director When I moved here from Washington, DC I thought “rural” was the farmland of central Pennsylvania—and then I visited Hoquiam, Richland, Sequim, and Orcas Island. It redefined rural in my mind and made me think of Pennsylvania farmland as suburban. In Washington, rural can mean a community isolated by a major mountain range and not easily reached in winter. Or it can mean being on an island where one must take a ferry or plane to get to a hospital. At that time, I was working on access to healthcare for people on Medicare and Medicaid. What I learned is that our state has been very creative in finding ways to meet the needs of rural residents. Our chapter serves 23 counties and all of them have significant rural areas; indeed, some are exclusively rural and remote.We try hard to meet the needs in those areas through a variety of approaches: • The chapter offers round-the-clock access through our 24-hour telephone Helpline.When families have a caregiving challenge or need some support they can talk to a trained professional. Our staff always 2 connects families to local programs such as respite care services and to private providers such as care facilities and doctors. • Imagine receiving education and support about Alzheimer’s disease by a national expert. Recently we started a telephone-support group for family caregivers that have been very popular, especially with people who cannot get to a traditional support group meeting.We offer 100 support groups throughout the 23 county service area and many are in rural areas.There is never a cost to participate in our support groups. • We provide care consultation by phone through our Connections program. Any family can access this service by simply calling the chapter and scheduling an appointment with one of our social workers. They will work with the whole family to develop a care plan that is personalized to the specific and unique situation of each family. We know that we have room to expand and improve, and we will continue to look for funding opportunities to do that.We were pleased this year when families in Sequim took the bull by the horns and held the first Memory Walk in our beautiful coastal communities.This determined group of volunteers raised $8,000 that will go towards supporting programs and services. For the last several years, volunteers in Yakima have organized a golf event as a third party fundraiser to support Memory Walk.We appreciate the support and are committed to serving rural residents. Board of Directors OFFICERS Nora Gibson, MSW, President Mark Davidson, Vice President Cassandra Undlin, Vice President/Secretary Michael Manning, Treasurer DIRECTORS Electa Anderson Marty Dennis Brad Goode Chris Gruenfeld Brian Olive Barbara Shaw John Shoesmith Berit Sjong Jon Younger, M.D. STAFF Lindsay Andersen, Support Group Assistant Donna Bergman, Helpline Navigator Janet Ceballos, El Portal NW/Care Consultant Stephanie Chacharon, Memory Walk Assistant Coordinator Nancy J. Dapper, Executive Director Sunil Dutt, Finance and Operations Director Margaux Gillespie, Programs and Policy Specialist Maggie Goss, Care Consultant Patricia Hunter, Programs and Policy Director Lora Lehner, Care Consultant Faith Martian, NW Regional Outreach Coordinator Joanne McMahon, Social Services Director Liz McNeil, Donor Relations Coordinator Yanick Moravia, Helpline Specialist Dawn Morgan, SW Regional Outreach Coordinator Elise Ricci, Development Specialist Lisa Ripley, Administrative Assistant Ellia Ryan, Development Director Rowena Rye, Helpline Director/Outreach Ruth Sanderson, Education and Training Specialist Katherine Segura, Education and Training Specialist Melissa Soules, Memory Walk Coordinator Jane Tornatore, Care Consultant/AOA Shirley Vanderbilt, Care Consultant Neta Wenberg, Care Consultant Linda Whiteside, Community Support and Volunteer Recruitment Director Samantha Woodward, Social Services Assistant NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Nancy J. Dapper, Margaux Gillespie and Patricia Hunter This newsletter is published quarterly by The Alzheimer’s Association–Western and Central Washington State Chapter, a nonprofit, tax exempt organization. Copyright by Alzheimer’s Association–Western and Central Washington State Chapter except where specifically stated otherwise. Reprint permission may be requested from the Chapter. Permission is hereby granted to all Alzheimer’s Association Chapters to excerpt materials from this newsletter for use in their public information programs with proper credit to us. We would be grateful to receive a copy of such reprints. All material in this newsletter is offered as information to our readers. The Alzheimer’s Association - Western and Central Washington State Chapter cannot warrant, endorse or recommend any provider, program or product.
Referral Registry makes the connection for residents in rural Washington state When Robyn Mikkelson was looking for someone to help care for her ailing husband, Martin, she knew what she was up against.Working as a care provider herself and living in a rural area near the town of Omak, Robyn knows firsthand that services and resources can be sparse. Financially, Robyn had to keep working, and knew that leaving Martin home alone was no longer an option.To add to Robyn’s concerns, her husband’s care needs were escalating quickly, so she knew she needed to find help right away. Robyn was determined to find someone that understood both her husband’s physical and emotional needs. It wasn’t going to be easy but as a care provider of 14 years, she had high expectations. She found a couple of people to help initially, but they didn’t work out, so she was left to continue looking once again. Undeterred, she turned to the Home Care Referral Registry. The Home Care Referral Registry matches the needs of Washington State residents who receive publicly-funded, in-home, long-term care with pre-qualified in-home care providers. She called Jackie Menger, the Referral Registry Coordinator for the Omak area.“Jackie was my angel in disguise,” states Robyn. She told Jackie about her situation and her husband’s urgent need for a care provider to assist him when Robyn had to leave the home to go to work. Reassuring Robyn, Jackie promptly began gathering the necessary information about Martin and also worked with his case manager with the Aging and Adult Care of Central Washington. In less than two days, Jackie was able to present a list of care providers that matched Martin’s needs to Robyn, to begin her search for assistance. After several discerning interviews, checking references and background information, as well as support and guidance from Jackie, Robyn was able to find the perfect match. Looking back Robyn recollects that, “I didn’t know what would happen day-by-day with my husband. I just knew that the person that would be helping my husband had to be qualified, reliable and, most importantly, treat him with dignity and respect.” Through all the ups and downs of Martin’s rapidly declining health and eventually his passing at home, Robyn recalls,“Martin’s care provider was just a blessing; she was gracious and understanding through all of it. I was fortunate to have found Jackie and the Referral Registry.” Robyn still works as a care provider in the Omak area, and still keeps in touch with Jackie at the Referral Registry on occasion. The Home Care Referral Registry is available across Washington State.You can connect with a Registry Coordinator in your area by calling 1(800)970-5456. The mission of the Home Care Referral Registry is to help people who are eligible for Medicaid In- Home Care services to find quality in-home care providers.The Home Care Referral Registry is managed by the Washington State Home Care Quality Authority, www.hcqa.wa.gov. Save the Date The Washington State Convention Center Seattle, Washington April 24, 2009 This full day conference is intended for professionals and family caregivers. The conference will include dynamic and informative keynote presentations and workshops. We will also recognize dedicated individuals throughout our region during our Excellence Awards. In addition, conference participants can visit an array of local and national exhibitors. On April 23, we will hold our increasingly popular pre-conference intensives. Registration information will be available on our website as of October 2008. Pre-conference and conference brochures will be released in January 2009. If you would like to be placed on the mailing list please send an email message to julie.shatzer@alz.org or contact Julie Shatzer by calling 1(800)848-7097 or (206)363-5500, extension 245. 3
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A special way of communicating - Alzheimer's Association

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