A Brain That’s Lost Access to Its Life Story

“We’re doing the right thing; we have to be a beacon to fix Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain that’s lost access to its life story,” said Dr. Paul Nussbaum, Ph.D., ABPP, President and Founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc. at the Marco Dementia Respite (MDR) Inaugural dinner dance held in March at the Island Country Club (ICC). “I am pleased to support the development and growth of MDR and believe it will serve as a model and catalyst for properly integrated care of older persons suffering Alzheimer’s and related Dementia.”

At the ICC event, 280 people attended. Two weeks earlier, 189 attended a fundraiser at Hideaway Beach. “I am so pleased with the results of the Hideaway Beach and Island Country Club fundraisers; both events were generously underwritten and enormously successful,” said Marco Island resident Carolee Levison and MDR Board member who chaired both events with the help of co-chairs Susan Gardner and Nancy Hilem from Hideaway Beach and Karen Blackwell from the Island Country Club. “A Live Auction and Auction of the Heart took place during the evenings and the attendees showed tremendous support for the Marco Dementia Respite Program.”

“The reaction and participation was beyond our imaginations,” said Marco Island resident Karen Blackwell, who is also on the Board of Directors for MDR. “Hideaway had an entertainer, whereas ICC had a dance band, and there was the same atmosphere. Electric!!”

MDR’s inaugural events gave proof that locals are enthusiastic about MDR and their vision. Marco Dementia Respite is a program for Marco area residents provided by local residents that gives caregivers a hiatus while offering a safe, enjoyable and no-cost haven for loved ones with early-stage Alzheimer’s/Dementia.

The Marco Dementia Respite program began in mid-September 2022, with the Board of Directors, a social worker, a home health aide and volunteers all in place but flying blind as to what the response to the program would yield. Beginning one day a week, that Monday quickly filled with pre-screened participants. And even better? Laughter, camaraderie and cheers emanated from the participants and the volunteers who shared memories, daily themes, arts and crafts, brain fitness and gentle physical exercises, music and a healthy lunch, which is critical to maintaining cognitive health.

Next, MDR saw a great need to help caregivers of Alzheimer’s/Dementia patients, for theirs is often a lonely, frustrating and exhausting existence. And sad. Watching a loved one continue to mentally decline can encompass a wealth of emotions and making friends in a caregiver group is so important for a caregivers mental and physical well-being.

In February of 2023, MDR added a Friday program day to the existing Monday, again with a positive response, as well as dog therapy, which helps reduce symptoms such as anxiety and agitation. 

According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s/Dementia is not a normal ailment of growing old and is a progressive brain disorder that influences behavior and language and destroys memory and thinking skills. Alzheimer’s disease and related Dementia affects 6.5 million Americans, and by 2050, it is estimated that this number will explode to over 15 million. Despite the devastating toll this takes on individuals and an even larger number of family caregivers, adequate resources for proper assessment and service delivery are difficult to find and fragmented.

"Our MDR team is addressing an acute need for Alzheimer's/Dementia care here in the Marco Island area with, for the first time, Marco Island area resources. For Marco, by Marco, as we like to say,” said Tim Rose, Chair MDR Board of Directors. “In the immediate term, we will provide quality programming for early-stage patients and desperately needed respite for their caregivers at no cost, another first. In the longer term, we will work passionately to increase our broad coalition of Marco area resources to create a more unified island-wide approach to all levels of care and entertainment for our senior citizens." 

The Marco Dementia Respite program is held Mondays and Fridays, 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall at Wesley United Methodist Church on Marco Island. MDR falls under the 501(C)3 umbrella of WUMC and tax-deductible donations are critical to allow MDR to continue and expand and can be made online at www.MarcoDementiaRespite.org or sent to Marco Dementia Respite, PO Box 813, Marco Island, FL 34146. Also, at 10:30 on program days, MDR offers a Caregivers Support Group. For additional information, contact MDR at 239-330-MDR3 (6373).