CLEVELAND — In our commitment to follow through on stories you care about, we have a great update on a program News 5 first featured at the end of November.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here.
That's when we met Karen Martin.
The East Cleveland woman is one of nearly 500,000 Ohioans caring for a loved one who has Alzheimer's or other dementia.
The toll on caregivers is significant, with 59% of them saying they're dealing with emotional stress, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Karen's story about the daily struggles she faces caring for her 92-year-old mother resonated with so many of you, including the man who provided the seed money to start a relief program that's extending a vital lifeline to caregivers.
Despite losing her ability to speak, Josephine Castora could still smile.
"You know, it's hard for me to talk about it four years later," said Jan Castora.
You can see the heartbreak on his face and hear it in his voice, the pain of losing his wife is still raw for Castora.
"The journey's been a long journey," said Castora.
Josephine died in 2019, more than a decade after being diagnosed with dementia.
"Frontal temporal dementia aphasia," said Castora.
As her condition deteriorated, Castora dug in, caring for his wife 18 hours a day. As for the other six.
"I was in a position I could hire people," said Castora.
The break allowed Castora to do things like visit family and friends and play golf.
"It recharged my battery," said Castora.
However, Castora knew that for so many people impacted by Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, there is no break.
"And that's why the emotional and physical strain on them is so intense because it doesn't change," said Castora.
What is changing, though, is that much-needed help is available through the Jan and Josephine Castora Caregiver Relief Program.
"I called the Alzheimer's people to see if they'd be interested if I gave them a million dollars to initiate this program," said Castora.
Caregivers who qualify, like Karen Martin, whose story we shared in November, get 100 hours of care at no cost through the Alzheimer's Association.
"Karen is an example of many caregivers who have no opportunity to get out of the house, to take a break from their labor of love, caregiving journey," said Cheryl Kanetsky, Alzheimer's Association.
Karen's journey caring for her 92-year-old mother with dementia struck a chord with people across Northeast Ohio.
“The response has been wonderful. We got some phone calls from people who saw the story and wanted to make donations to help continue the program being available for people," said Kanetsky.
Among those providing a financial boost is Castora, who added another $10,000 to a program that has seen a spike in requests since November.
"The statistic that's really troubling is that a lot of caregivers pass away before the person that they're caring for does and so that's just telling us that the caregivers need more support themselves," said Kanetsky.
Castora said he doesn't need validation for what he is doing -- he saw a need and stepped up to help ease the strain for those impacted by dementia.
"I want to help people and I'll continue to do it."
We recently checked in with Karen Martin. She said she’s received an additional 50 hours from the caregiver program.
The extra time allows her to take care of herself so she can continue caring for her mother.
The Josephine and Jan Castro Caregiver Relief Program provides assistance to families in 12 Northeast Ohio counties.
Organizers are looking for more participants, especially in Lorain County.
To learn more about the program, call 216-206-8389 or e-mail caregiverreliefprogram@alz.org.
