Ah, retirement, the golden years, no children at home, just life with a loving spouse, the dog and fresh coffee percolating on the counter top.
A year ago, Jeanne Ellis moved from south to central Florida, knowing she would be assuming the care-giving for her 98-year-old mother, Ruth and 78-year-old brain-damaged sister, Florence. Without the energy of a young woman plus a battle with cancer, the stress grew, as told by the Orlando Sentinel.
But some relief came when a neighbor recommended the non-profit, "Share the Care” program at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando, which provides adult daycare. In part, the program is funded by donations to the Orlando Sentinel Family Fund Holiday Campaign. The St. Luke’s program is one of four operated by “Share the Care” and under the governance of McCormick Tribune Foundation in Chicago. McCormick contributes 50 cents for every dollar donated to the fund.
"I didn't realize at first how burned out I was getting," Ellis said, "but once I was able to get some help, I realized there was so much stress that I was under."
Donations to the Family Fund Holiday Campaign support family caregivers in Orange and Seminole counties. The program hopes to diminish the need for nursing-home care at a reduced cost. The cost for nursing home or assisted-living care is between $50,000 and $100,000 a year, according to CNN/Money.com, the Sentinel reported.
Mary Ellen Grant, executive director of “Share the Care,” said "Jeanne is a woman in her 60s who thought she and her husband would be enjoying their retirement, but she also has the responsibility of caring for her mother and sister. We are curing and delaying the impact of diseases like cancer and heart disease, meaning we will spend our retirement as caregivers," says Grant, whose agency provides in-home counseling, in-home respite care and memory-disorder services to more than 1,000 families in central Florida.
Ellis takes her mom and sister to “Share the Care” three times a week. While there, they read, play games and watch television, while Ellis takes care of administrative tasks, personal errands and just plain decompresses.
"One of the things they tell you to limit as a recovering cancer patient is stress,” she said. “I just don't know what I would do without this," she told the Sentinel.
"Share the Care" can be reached at www.helpforcaregivers.org or 407-423-5311. All administrative costs of the campaign are paid by the Sentinel and McCormick Tribune Foundation, which contributes 50 cents for every dollar donated.
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