Dementia task force, Memory Cafés start in Rock County

Feb. 26--JANESVILLE -- Nearly 200,000 family members provided more than $215 million in unpaid care to those with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia last year in Wisconsin, according to the 2014 Alzheimer's Association's annual report.

Among those receiving care were more than 4,000 Rock County residents, including many supported by unpaid caregivers, the report stated.

To improve the quality of life for those with dementia and to increase access to resources, the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Rock County has established a task force aimed at creating dementia-friendly communities.

The task force's first meeting was Feb. 10.

"Out of 28 participants, there were 12 willing to be part of an ongoing task force that will start discussing specifically what we think dementia friendly in Rock County will look like," said Cori Marsh, dementia care specialist. "We are looking for those impacted by dementia and their care partners, community members, businesses and health care agencies to come together, make a plan and implement some strategies."

Part of that initiative includes free training for local businesses and their employees to become "dementia friendly". Those who complete training will receive a decal to display at their place of business showing that employees know how to recognize and help customers with dementia, she said.

"People with dementia want to do the things they've always done in a safe, secure environment so they can find their way around and stay socially connected to the people they were connected to," Marsh said.

Jan Zimmerman leads the Watertown Dementia Awareness Coalition and is administrator and director of nursing at Heritage Homes Assisted Living in Watertown. She is excited about increased efforts toward improving quality of life for those with dementia and their caregivers.

"When we started this, we had no idea it was going to grow the way it did," she said.

Within a week of launching the Watertown coalition, Zimmerman learned the State of Wisconsin was organizing a task force to change the approach of working with those living with dementia.

Today, there are 16 ADRCs statewide, and each has a specialist that provides dementia specific activities, Marsh said.

Zimmerman said efforts made by the Watertown group are helping, as 15 city businesses have become approved as dementia friendly.

The Watertown coalition also has partnered with the city's public library to create a section focusing strictly on dementia. The group also is working with the local hospital, hospice, assisted living and EMS to create a seamless referral process.

Town hall meetings also are in the works.

"There are a lot of uninformed people out there, including those who are working in the field," Zimmerman said. "It's a crisis. The numbers are growing and at this point it doesn't look like there's going to be an end to it.

"As the population is aging faster with baby boomers, we are going to have a lot of people needing additional help. We're not going to have the caregivers to meet those needs."

Marsh agreed, saying the number of people with dementia is rising every day. This includes the number of people in Rock County which she said, "has doubled in the last 15 years."

Dementia-friendly communities typically include Memory Cafés, increased civic awareness of dementia issues and dementia-capable emergency response efforts.

Memory Cafés provide socialization, learning and some physical activity in a safe environment, Marsh said.

Many Memory Cafés exist in Wisconsin, but more were established in Rock County after the ADRC partnered with Basics Cooperative for the first one held Feb. 16. Memory Cafés also have been established in Milton and Beloit.

"They (Memory Cafés) differ from support groups because they are socially based and include activities and educational programs that those with the disease and their caregivers can do together," Marsh said.

___

(c)2015 The Janesville Gazette (Janesville, Wis.)

Visit The Janesville Gazette (Janesville, Wis.) at www.gazetteextra.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC