Teri Sellers
The PebbleCreek Alzheimer’s Support Group is available to all residents who have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or any related dementia. The group meets twice a month. For more information or to join the group, please contact me.
The Longest Day is the day with the most light. The Alzheimer’s Association chose the longest day of the year to honor those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, for whom every day is the longest day. People across the world will fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through fundraising and awareness activities. This year, June 20 is the summer solstice, which will be the longest day of the year.
More than six million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s, and a vast majority of those are being cared for by family caregivers. It is estimated that family members and friends provided nearly 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care, amounting to $257 billion dollars worth of unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s in 2020.
The main reasons for all this unpaid care are: 1.) the desire to keep the person with dementia at home, 2.) the proximity to the person with dementia, and 3.) the caregiver’s perceived obligation to the person with dementia. Caregivers often indicate love and a sense of duty and obligation when describing what motivates them to assume care responsibility.
Caregivers often don’t realize just how intense and taxing caring for a dementia patient can be. Dementia often causes a disturbance in the sleep cycle, so getting rest or a full night’s sleep is challenging. As a person with dementia progresses, their needs are often 24/7 and include not only ‘“answering that same question over and over again” but also seeing to their personal and physical care needs.
That is why every day is a long day for the caregiver and the reason the Alzheimer’s Association has chosen the longest day of the year to recognize all these caregivers and as a fundraising event.
Last year, our support group banded together to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. We even had a small Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Sunrise Park. The Creekers raised almost $3,000, earning our group Elite Champion Status.
Now, I am not writing this article to solicit donations, but I am always available to take them. I am writing this article to create more awareness of this disease that affects so many families right here in PebbleCreek.
Our group has resumed our monthly social breakfast, and now we are happy to announce that we are also resuming our support group meetings. Information on the meeting dates and times is shared with the group via our dedicated email.
You are not alone. Please feel free to call me, Teri Sellers, at 602-793-0299. I will share helpful resources and information with you and add you to our email list. Your information is always safe and confidential, and the benefits are priceless.