Imagine you just landed in a new city to attend an important event, you checked into your hotel room, you still have four hours before your event, so you decide it’s a good time to take a nap. Approximately thirty minutes into your nap your phone rings, you open your eyes and for a split second everywhere and everything seemed out of place, you lose all sense of location, the exit door, bathroom, and everything else is out of place, it’s a total confusion of time and space, until suddenly it all comes back that you are in the hotel room for that event later. Thank God, this total confusion lasted only a split second, everything is now back to normal. Well unfortunately, with the Alzheimer’s patient it does not come back, that is his or her world. Now imagine you are the caregiver of that person who relies on you to navigate him or her through this new, strange confused world. It goes without saying that both the caregiver and the loved ones, life has changed forever. We can only imagine, if this is neither you nor I, but we can also imagine that this is happening to someone, somewhere, in the real world. Fortunately, you and I have the opportunity to make a difference by supporting the cause in whatever way we possibly can. Among all the diseases that affect us today, Alzheimer’s is probably among the most popular of the few for which there is no cure, and the only one of which the patient is unable to represent or lobby for himself or herself.
As President of United Managed Care, Alzheimer’s Support Group, and on behalf of the entire team, I ask you to join the cause of the caregivers to say we will help you through this difficult journey.
The task is not easy, and we cannot do it alone, but with your generosity and support , we can make this a positive effort of “ giving and receiving”.
Our local, State, and National Governments are working diligently to find a cure for the disease, the Alzheimer’s patient is in their focus, but the Caregiver is oftentimes overlooked. The goal of United Managed Care, Alzheimer’s Support Group is to increase the frequency of educational workshops, and to help establish more support groups where caregivers can share experiences and learn coping skills from their peers.
I believe no matter how difficult the caregiver may look at life, if we all do our part, we can make it a beautiful life. You may ask, what is a beautiful life? To borrow the words of a wise writer. A Beautiful life “Quote does not just happen… It’s built daily with Love, Laughter, Sacrifice, Patience, Grace and Forgiveness”
Message from K. Max Williamson, Vice President, Public Relations Director
Greetings with love to everyone!!
It's with considerable passion that I share sincere thanks to all who've supported the humanitarian cause of the United Managed Care Alzheimer's Support Group Inc. (UMCASG) since inception.
I was moved, touched, and inspired to become an active participant and contributor since July 2018. For years, I observed the intense, emotional, mental, and physical commitment that caregivers of loved ones suffering from Alzheimer's disease endure. Caregivers have many responsibilities so it is important to have a support network to take care of their well-being. It was based on those observations that I was inspired to commit to the cause of "Caring for the Caregivers".
I hope as we expand the awareness and purpose of this cause that UMCASG embodies, many more of you will participate in supporting the caregivers while advancements are made toward methods of treatment, prevention and, ultimately, a cure.
United Managed Care Alzheimer's Support Group. "We care, Do you?"
Sharon Dove, Executive Director/Chairperson, VP
Despite the fact that I had relatives who had succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease, and some who were living with the disease, I was ignorant to the facts before becoming involved with UMCASG. Also, little did I know that Alzheimer's was at my front door and would reach home within the first year of being involved with UMCASG. I quickly learned that Alzheimer's is impartial to no one and that when it hits, sometimes relatives have no choice but to fill the gap as caregivers.
Every 65 seconds someone in the United States develops the disease. There are over 16 million people in the United States caring for these patients; a stressful and an intensely emotional journey of Care-giving. Suddenly, I had become an Alzheimer’s Caregiver. According to Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures, in 2019, eighty-three percent of the help provided to older adults in the United States comes from family members, friends or other unpaid caregivers. Alzheimer’s caregivers provided an estimated 18.5 billion hours of care valued at over $234 billion. Nearly half of all caregivers who provide help to older adults do so for someone living with Alzheimer's or another dementia. (Alzheimer's Association). Thirty-five percent (35%) of these caregivers report that their health has gotten worse due to care responsibilities and their levels of stress increased compared to caregivers for older people without dementia. This is where UMCASG comes in.
UMCASG wants to ensure that caregivers are aware of all the resources available to help decrease stress and stay healthy because without the caregiver the patient is doomed. It is overwhelming to take care of a loved one with Alzheimer's, and too much stress is counter-productive. We want to steer you in the direction to alleviate some obstacles and this is done by providing seminars and workshops geared toward the caregiver. Care-giving is a remarkable gift and can make the biggest difference in your loved one’s quality of life. However, as our loved one’s physical, functional and cognitive abilities diminish. Caregivers may neglect their own health and well-being which will cause severe exhaustion, anger, loneliness, anxiety, guilt, and depression. We at UMCASG are here to support you, the Caregiver, and make it a fulfilling journey. Experienced speakers from the Alzheimer's Association, as well as the University of Miami Research Department, and Broward Health have all brought informative information in an enlightening manner to the attendees. Through these seminars and workshops, Caregivers receive information on the Community Resources that are available for support. In addition they are taught relaxation techniques, become educated and informed Caregivers, learn self care and the importance of having their loved ones make legal and financial plans.
We invite you to visit our website umcasg.org to review the scheduled events on our website In addition to workshops, we offer lots of fun and entertaining events including a BINGO night, Birthday Celebrations, and a Barbecue Day. Of course, every event consists of games, food, and dancing. We strive to release the stress through these fun activities.
In 2020 we will continue to educate Alzheimer’s Caregivers through the partnerships we have established. There is no cost to attend these events and a free meal is provided. We will be increasing the number of seminars this year. Last year we were able to help one family with respite care and the goal this year is to acquire adequate funding for respite and other possible and necessary financial support to some Caregivers. A portion of the funds we receive from fund raising activities are dedicated to this cause.
Members of UMCASG are getting our walking shoes ready to participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on November 11, 2020. The Walk will begin at Nova Southeastern University, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314. We welcome you to join our team in this effort. We will also be participating in The Longest Day on June 20, 2020. We invite you to check back on our website for upcoming information on these events. They are foremost to increase awareness.
A big thank you to all our sponsors for enabling us to continue to partner with them to bring seminars and workshops to the public. We are grateful to the Southeast Division of the National Alzheimer’s Association for their continued support in delivering a wealth of information through their motivational and knowledgeable speakers at these seminars and workshops. They have been well versed in steering Caregivers to deal with and prepare for future challenges, reduce frustration, and foster reasonable expectations.
On behalf of United Managed Care Alzheimer’s Support Group, a big thank you to all our patrons, supporters, and guests. We appreciate you and we love you.
Remembering our members
K. Max Williamson, Vice President, Public Relations Director passed away on January 15, 2021. We will miss him dearly.