CLEVELAND — Watching a loved one decline after a dementia diagnosis can be devastating but there’s free help available for those dealing with the disease and their families.
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“People always are looking for ways to be supported and guided, maybe they’re ashamed of it, maybe they feel guilty about it, but they need that space without judgment to come and talk about what’s happening and be connected,” said Director of Strategic Partnerships at Benjamin Rose Lisa Weitzman.
Advocates like Molly McFadden, 72, are helping to spread that message. She created a puppet show about the journey she had with her mother who lived with Alzheimer’s for 12 years.
“I decided to do a show that would dramatize and share the story of what it’s like to go through that journey,” she said. “But try to give it a theatrical slant and not be like the same stories of Alzheimer’s that we all hear.”
Years later, McFadden faced her own diagnosis, mild cognitive impairment.
“A couple of weeks ago I was making a pizza and I didn't know how to layer it,” she said. “It shows up in subtle ways right now but it hasn't gotten worse, thank God.”
She’s involved in a study with Cleveland Clinic and is taking medication. She’s also focused on diet, exercise and meditation.
“It's at the very, very beginning and because I'm doing what I'm doing, I might stay in that measure of time for the next 10 years,” she said. “If I didn't get the diagnosis and didn't know that it's not just old age, I would continue habits and stress and living and that roller coaster would keep climbing and eventually the Alzheimer's would then become predominant and the brain is losing the battle.”
Benjamin Rose has been helping older adults and their loved ones in a variety of ways for decades, including its WeCare program. It’s a navigation program that helps families with all sorts of needs, including finding community services and suggestions for care.
Weitzman said Benjamin Rose is also helping families through the federal government’s Guide program, which is specifically for patients with dementia and/or their unpaid caregivers. According to the consumer brochure, it’s designed to provide additional, high-quality medical, physical and emotional care and guide you through the complexities of the healthcare system.
You can receive as much as $2500 annually in respite care, to allow family/friends time to manage other responsibilities, as well as to recharge.
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To be eligible, the participant must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, not be enrolled in hospice or PACE, and be experiencing some cognitive impairment but does not need a formal diagnosis.
Benjamin Rose’s WeCare program does not have an insurance requirement and is open to all, for more information on either program call 216-373-1797.
