Board members and supporters of the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association of Indian River County got together Wednesday evening for an invitational Donor Appreciation Reception at Northern Trust Bank, sponsored jointly by Gould Cooksey Fennell and Northern Trust.
The evening also occasioned the launch of The Steggles Society, a new planned giving membership society to recognize individuals who include APAIRC in their estate plans. Joy Steggles, who has continued the legacy of her late husband John as a staunch supporter, champion and advocate for APAIRC, was welcomed as the society’s first member.
“Caregiver support is the heart and soul of this organization, because it’s where we started 33 years ago,” said APAIRC Executive Director, Peggy Cunningham. “No other Alzheimer or Parkinson organization provides the programs, services and critical support for our friends and neighbors. Ours is the only local comprehensive resource center.”
Chris Loftus serves on the Memory & Motion Advisory Board and currently co-chairs the Annual Fund with John Campione. She said that although patients and families often try to keep their struggles a secret, nothing is gained by hiding the disorders.
“The more we talk about it, the more we can help deal with it, said Loftus. “This is truly a tsunami that is hitting this country.”
Sustainable, long-term funding for APAIRC programs is becoming increasingly essential. Based on national statistics, Cunningham estimates that more than 5,000 people in Indian River County suffer from some form of memory or motion disorder; a number that is expected to increase with our aging population. Moreover, roughly 80 percent of individuals with dementia-related disorders are being cared for by unpaid family or friends, making the APAIRC’s caregiver respite programs one of their most vital components.
Caregivers can experience an emotional, physical and financial drain as they attempt to cope with a host of daily challenges triggered by the disorder, and frequently suffer declines in their own health as a result.
“Those who are caregivers need to be able to find some breathing room for themselves,” said Joy Steggles. “John’s idea was to give some help to people who could not afford private help and therefore have no respite.”
“Imagine being 75 years old and having to take care of a 2-year old,” said John Steggles’ daughter Angela Nevius, providing an analogy. “You’re not young anymore and now you’re having to take care of somebody 24/7. They need a place to take that person so that they can just breathe.”
Cunningham expects to grow existing services, including the funding for an expansion of an in-home respite program for those unpaid caregivers unable to get their family members to the APAIRC Center for Memory and Motion for social respite sessions.
“As a caregiver, one needs to have some time away; just a little me-time,” said board member Trudie Rainone. “If we could just give them three hours a week to get out of the house, it would give them time to run errands or just do something for themselves.”
Future plans call for the hiring of a program director to develop, launch and lead various other evidence-based programs to be accessible throughout the county.
