All Posts in "Pierce County"

“I had no idea how caregiving truly requires 24/7!  The addition of caregiving adds a whole new dimension to anything I do,” says Edie Pelham. She’s caring for her sister who has dementia. Prior to contacting the Family Caregiver Support Program, Edie was either worrying about her sister or bringing her along to work each day.  “I wouldn’t change it for anything, but having her at Memory Care & Wellness Services takes a bit of the pressure off for that brief time.  It’s huge in helping me recharge.”

Caring for a person with dementia is not something we are born knowing how to do.  And our medical system is not particularly well-suited to helping individuals with dementia and their families in learning skills to manage behaviors and day-to-day care. Physicians, often the most trusted resource for families, have limited time and frequently don’t provide even simple referrals, such as to the Alzheimer’s Association where plenty of up-to-date information, educational resources, and connections with local support groups is available. Or, to the local Family Caregiver Support Program which offers a wide array of information, education and supportive services to assist in providing care at home.

Families often wait too long to make such calls.  They delay reaching out for support until they are overwhelmed or exhausted.  Once overwhelmed, it’s hard to know what to do first, what service might help, or how to muster the time and energy to “take care of yourself.”  Are you or someone you know feeling this way?  If so, it can be beneficial to get assistance from a caregiving specialist to review your situation and determine action steps you could take to improve your situation now and in the future.

Here in Washington State, families can get this type of assistance by calling the Family Caregiver Support Program and asking about the Tailored Caregiver Assessment and Referral (TCARE®) system that incorporates a personal caregiver survey and assessment of a caregiver’s situation with consultation, if needed, around strategies and services to meet each caregiver’s unique needs.

Mr. S. is a great example of a caregiver who reached out and got the help he needed. He lives in northwest Washington, takes care of his wife with dementia and has medical concerns of his own.  He was referred to the Family Caregiver Support Program over a year ago.

After going through the assessment process and discussing it with his caregiver specialist, he made decisions to talk with a caregiver counselor, to see his physician and get back to exercising, and to try out a specialized adult day service program. He recently discussed his experience with the program.

“While I have been aware for some time of feeling better and of having a higher energy level, the reports you sent me demonstrate these facts quite dramatically.  I am also aware of being extremely grateful for all of your efforts on our behalf as well as those of your staff. I know Mrs. S. feels the same way. If she were able to fully appreciate how much your efforts have helped me there would be no limit to how grateful she would be.”

Pierce County is fortunate to have a variety of support options for families living with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s support groups, family caregiver counseling, dementia caregiver consultation and adult day service programs.

An innovative specialty service, new to the area is Skills2Care,â„¢ a proven in-home occupational therapy service for family caregivers and individuals with dementia. The program was designed to improve the well-being and skills of family caregivers, slow decline in daily functioning of persons with dementia and reduce challenging behaviors that can lead to nursing home placement. Services are provided in the home, with caregivers receiving 3-10 sessions within a 6-month period.

If you’re caring for a person with dementia, it’s critical to get information about the condition, to build or strengthen your support network, to keep yourself healthy and learn strategies and skills that can help you cope and provide the best possible care for your family member as things change over time.  Find out now about any of the supports mentioned above that sound helpful.

Need help getting started?  Don’t delay – call today. The local Family Caregiver Support Program can be reached through the Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center: (253) 798-4600 or 1-800-562-0332.

Lynne Korte Home and Community Services Division Aging and Disability Services Administration
Contributing Author by — August 24, 2011 in Everything Else

Community Connections ADRC Team Member (left to right) Eunice Forest, Paul Calta, Matt Santelli, David Bradt, Barbara Bauml and Randy Ip.

The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) team at Pierce County Community Connections has something to celebrate. All six ADRC case managers received recognition as Certified Information and Referral Specialists in Aging (CIRS-A).

Barbara Bauml, David Bradt, Eunice Forest, Randy Ip, Matt Santelli and supervisor Paul Calta successfully passed the CIRS-A exam. The test measures abilities in the field of Information, Referral and Assistance (I&R/A). It covers a variety of competencies to gauge the knowledge, skills, attitudes and work-related behaviors needed by those working in I&R/A.

“Congratulations to our case managers for receiving the CIRS-A certification,” said Helen Howell, Director of Pierce County Community Connections. “Their commitment to providing high quality services to our clients is very clear to those of us here at Community Connections. This certification acknowledges the competence of each team member and provides a wonderful stamp of approval to the ADRC.”

A service of Pierce County Community Connections, the ADRC provides free assistance to older adults, individuals with disabilities, family members, caregivers, friends, neighbors and professionals. The center offers information, referral and assistance to people seeking to access public and private pay programs and services to help residents remain independent and safe in their own homes for as long as they are able.

CIRS-A certification signifies expertise on issues relating to older adults.  The certification is administered by the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, a professional association for community Information and Referral (I&R) and I&R/A providers in the United States and Canada.

 

The ADRC is available by phone at (253) 798-4600 or (800) 562-0332; on the web at www.PierceADRC.org; and at the Community Connections office at 1305 Tacoma Avenue, Suite 104.

Bonnie Dickson by — July 28, 2011 in Everything Else
Local museums offer taste of Northwest art

“Wow!”  That, said Stephanie Stebich, is the number one word visitors use when they first enter the Dale Chihuly’s Northwest exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum.  Stebich, the museum’s director was there to talk about the man she considers America’s most recognized contemporary artist.  That man, Dale Chihuly, is one of just a few Tacoma natives being shown this month at two of the areas largest museums.  Works by glass artist, Dale Chihuly and photographer Virna Haffer fill two of the Tacoma Art Museum’s exhibition rooms.  For a third Tacoma native, read Maggie Kelly’s article about Peter Serko on page 7.  Serko’s work is being shown across the Chihuly Bridge of Glass at the Museum of Glass.

Chihuly is indisputably one of the leaders in the school of glass but native baskets, trade blankets and Edward S. Curtis’s photographs of North American Indians influenced much of his work and collections of these artifacts breathe warmth and meditative calm into this exhibition.  Overhead, two amazing Day Island Willits canoes punctuate the exhibit.  Chihuly called them, “Some of the most beautiful canoes ever made.”

Chihuly grew up in Tacoma, attended Stadium High School and graduated from Wilson High School.  “I love Tacoma.  It’s my hometown.  It’s where I was raised.”

“I’m so proud of Tacoma for building three museums in three years,” said Chihuly.  He’s been a major supporter of Tacoma’s art scene.  So much so that Stebich said, “If you really love Dale’s work, you want to see more of it and that means you have to come to Tacoma.”[singlepic id=22 w=320 h=240 float=right]

Just down the hall from the Chihuly exhibit is the work of Virna Haffer.  Haffer has largely slipped from the American consciousness but her work spanned six decades beginning in the 20s.  A prolific photographer, she also found success as a printmaker, painter, musician, sculptor and published writer.  The sheer scope of her work is breathtaking.  Etchings share space with photograms, which share space with portraits and on and on it seems to go.  Museum staff sorted through 30,000 images at the Washington State Historical Society and Tacoma Public Library’s Special Collections to create the exhibit.

[nggallery id=4]

“A Turbulent Lens: The Photographic Art of Virna Haffer” runs July 2 through Oct. 16, 2011.

“Dale Chihuly’s Northwest” runs through Sept. 25, 2011.

 

Bonnie Dickson by — July 28, 2011 in Spotlight

Matthew M. Santelli, M.A.
Pierce County Aging and Disabilities
Resource Center

The City of Tacoma is fortunate to have an outstanding senior center right in the heart of downtown, the Beacon Senior Center. Located at the corner of South 13th Street and Fawcett Avenue (the street address is 415 South 13th Street), the Beacon Senior Center is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is (253) 591-5083. Lunch is served at noon each day and breakfast is served at 9:30 a.m. The Beacon Senior Center provides activities for those who are age 50 and over but meals are only available to those age 60 and over for a suggested donation of $3 for lunch and $2 for breakfast.

I enjoyed the opportunity to sit down and talk about the Beacon Senior Center with director Virginia Pace. Virginia has worked at the Beacon for over 20 years. She is proud that the Beacon serves a diverse population with several different languages spoken among attendees from many different cultural backgrounds. Virginia is encouraged that so many seniors participate in a variety of activities at the Beacon including fitness groups, computer classes, Spanish language classes, local walking trips and day trips by van around the area, yoga, woodcarving, ceramics, quilting, and many more. Virginia is particularly enthused about the birthday celebrations that take place once a month at the Beacon, which, for a fee of $2.50 for guests over 60 and $5.00 for guests under 50, includes a small birthday gift, a glass of sparkling cider at lunch, balloons, and a chance to win a drawing for a $10 gift certificate. She is also very excited about the great attendance at the Beacon for “Cook’s Night Out”. Cooks Night Out is a once monthly event, which provides dinner from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. then board games and card games until 9 p.m. This ticket-only event costs only $5 and tickets must be purchased the Friday before the program. Call the Beacon at 253-591-5083 for more information.

Virginia would like to remind seniors that they can call anytime during business hours for more information and can stop by anytime during business hours to get registered. Seniors can pick up a newsletter describing all of the activities available for the month. The Beacon can be reached by Pierce Transit Shuttle or regular bus, there is plenty of free parking around the Beacon for those who drive, and there is also a van to pickup seniors if they live within a certain geographical area near the Beacon. Call or stop by for details.

Next month we will let our readers know more about the Lighthouse Senior Center in South Tacoma.

srmedia by — July 5, 2011 in Everything Else