A new ministry designed to support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers will open on Oct. 2 at Immanuel Lutheran, 1004 W Broadway, St. Viroqua, WI, 54665.
For one day a week, A Time for Joy will provide a fun, engaging environment for participants to enjoy social, recreational, and enrichment activities while their caregivers get a four-hour break.
“We’ve been preparing for several months, and we are so excited that it’s time to begin this much-needed ministry to support our community and their caregivers,” Pastor Michele said. “Working with the Respite for All ministry model, we are excited to bring this ministry to life.”
Director Savannah Frei has completed training developed by the Respite for All Foundation.
“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel but are able to apply best practices that have already proven successful at other ministries,” Frei said.
“We have a great schedule of enrichment activities ready to go, and I think our participants are going to see right away that the environment is less like caregiving and more like a thriving recreational center.”
“It’s critical that communities like Viroqua offer respite ministries,” Frei said.
The number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease in Viroqua will more than double over the next thirty years if trends follow national projections from the Alzheimer’s Association. The association says that more than 6 million Americans are affected by this disease, and that number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050.
Understanding that Alzheimer’s and dementia diseases are progressive conditions, the participants who would most likely benefit from the program are those who can sit in
group settings for an extended period and can feed themselves and move around.
Savannah added, “This is not just for our own church members but for others in the area living with a dementia-related disease who would benefit from these social and relational activities.”
A Time for Joy is part of a larger network of respite ministries adopting a successful volunteer-based model of care promoted by the Respite for All Foundation (RFA) to support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia and their caregivers. A donation of $10 an hour is requested to cover lunch and activities. Scholarships are available to ensure there are no barriers to attending.
Registration is required.
Respite For All and A Time for Joy are social programs, no medical training is required. One day a week, participants are led through recreational and enrichment activities that fill a need for relationship and interaction. This gives caregivers a much-needed break where they can leave their loved ones with trusted volunteers for up to four hours.
Contact Savannah Frei at Immanuel Lutheran for more information. (608-637-3983) or TimeForJoy@immanuel-lc.org.
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