The following quotes come from actual clients of the Alzheimer's Resource Service:
"I honestly don’t know what I would have done without the Alz Resource Service. My husband was diagnosed with early onset AD in 2005 and I was only 51. There are so many logistical things to consider let alone the fact that you are slowly losing your loved one. Emotion plus Fear is a very stressful combination.
FEAR: Through the Service, I was able to weave through the many things that I needed to do to get ready for the point where he could not be alone while I worked a full time job. It was just an amazing resource for me.
EMOTION: The Spousal Support Group gave me strength as I knew I was not alone. I learned from others, leaned on others and offered my support as well. It truly was a blessing!"
-Donna B.
"I am a retired Alzheimer’s caregiver; I cared for my wife in our home until her death. I had no prior experience as an Alzheimer’s caregiver. In effect, ARS provided the training and support I needed to function successfully as her caregiver. Not only was the ARS staff important as a source of information and advice, ARS also hosted a caregiver’s support group, consisting of spouses who were caring for their partners. I was a regular attendee of support group meetings. The opportunity to share my experience and to learn from others facing similar issues made it possible for me to serve as my wife’s primary caregiver."
-Howard M.
"My association with the Alzheimer’s Resource Service has been an invaluable experience. I have learned so much and continue to learn about this disease and caring for a loved one."
-Dick M.
"The Alzheimer's Spouse Caregivers Support Group was an extraordinary bridge for me during my husband's illness and after he passed away. I continue to attend twice a month meetings because I now can be a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on as others were for me. The compassion, caring, and confidences shared among us are invaluable. Dayna Thompson is a remarkable facilitator who has made this support possible. I cannot emphasize strongly enough the impact the ARS has had on my life."
-Wendy R.
"The neurologist was blunt: “It appears that what’s going on is early-onset Alzheimer’s.” Eighteen years ago the doctor’s matter-of-fact voice and those words tore the fabric of my dreams asunder.
There is no way to sugar-coat it. Two lives were now spiraling into an abyss of dread, searching for a hope that would not exist. Frances, the patient – my wife, spectacular mother and career woman – had done all the life-style things that are said to be preventive: Mediterranean diet, exercise, meditation and yoga, deep intellectual endeavors, expansive friendships and always lots of sleep. And, there was no family history of the disease.
Caring for her at home for eight years included frantic attempts to cram as much love and experience into our lives as we could, amidst her declining ability to enjoy them. As the slow and ugly march of the disease led to delusions, lessening cooperation and the onset of seizures, my own health became severely compromised. That is not uncommon. There is basis to the saying that Alzheimer’s often affects the caregiver at least as much as the patient. That’s where Dayna Thompson and IU Health-Boomington Hospital’s Alzheimer’s Resource Center are so important to our community.
Frances has now been in the loving care of the dementia unit at Garden Villa-Bloomington for ten years. Still, the stress on family never ends.
If you have a loved one who shows signs of dementia, there is no more important step you can take than getting in touch with Dayna Thompson, an extraordinary professional. The headline on her website says it all: “You are not alone.” Thompson’s office is a veritable lifeline."
-Cleve W.
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