Ohio Department of Aging Elder Caregiver Award

Linda Beverly, Akron

Quality of life is of utmost importance to Linda Beverly as she cared for Jon, her husband of more than 34 years, who passed away this year. With impaired cognitive functioning, Jon needed assistance in all activities and life constantly changed for him and the family. Linda coordinated the resources of many individuals and organizations to give Jon comprehensive care, while she also helped care for her three grandchildren who live with her while her daughter studies to be a nurse.

The Alzheimer's program at Area Agency on Aging 10B, Inc. provided the assistance Linda needed to keep Jon at home and engaged in his community. Jon attended adult day care at Louisa Ridge, which provided him a measure of independence, while Linda maintains the home and manages their horses. Linda and Jon received equipment from the agency as well, adapting the bathroom to meet Jon's needs.

Since retiring, Linda relied more on family members for his care. Working together, the family learned to manage each new challenge with creativity and patience. They also learned to accept that life is not predictable and that they needed to be flexible to successfully meet Jon's needs.

Linda states that, "Through our love for Jon, we successfully gave him the support and care he needed to keep him well and happy. Jon had a strong team that was there for him 24 hours."

Mark Hammock, Mansfield

Mark Hammock was the primary caregiver for his father-in-law, James Hepner, who passed away in November 2010. Due to a stroke, in addition to the beginning stages of Alzheimer's disease, hospital staff doubted that James would ever be able to regain the skills necessary for daily living and suggested nursing home placement. His family, however, felt in-home care, in familiar surroundings, was the best path for his recovery. The whole family pitched in to ensure James remained comfortable and safe in his own home.

With dignity and love, Mark helped James be active and engaged. He used different techniques to keep James' brain active, such as changing topics to help him relate other memories and also asking him to look at different clocks and tell time. Mark used his training as a licensed medical assistant and his experience as his mother's caregiver to administer to all James' needs. Realizing that choice and independence are important to James, Mark made sure he got out of the house, wheeling James to the end of the street in his wheelchair to get the treats he loved.

The family used rehabilitation and personal aid resources through the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging to help start James' care. The agency also did an assessment, made recommendations and helped to acquire mobility and safety items. Thanks to this help, plus all of Mark's efforts, James could feed himself and regained a large amount of sight in his left eye. He also became more agile and was walking with the aid of a cane inside the house.

It would have been impossible for the family to afford the type of care Mark provided. Mark, himself, is disabled with multiple sclerosis. Caregiving is very demanding, yet he greets each day by saying, "I'm blessed." He demonstrated one of the benefits of being a caregiver: when he cared for others, he concentrated less on his own issues and, as a result, he felt better. According to his wife, who nominated him for this award, "Mark has been a treasure to this family, and I feel unfathomably fortunate and honored to have him as my husband."

Phillip Kitson, Antwerp

Phillip Kitson has provided care for his wife, Lorraine, for more than four years after her brain aneurysm. His goal is to increase her independence and to improve her quality of life.

Phil has worked to learn ways to help Lorraine walk and speak again. He has created several devices in the house to help her exercise. For example, he built parallel bars in the basement to assist in her therapy. He also drives her to physical therapy and speech therapy to help her regain function.

Phil takes outstanding care of Lorraine, despite having no family members in the area to help. He uses home-delivered meals, which he prepares to her needs, and the services of a home health aide. He has purchased or made other devices to help her with daily life, such as cushions, chairs, toilet risers, ramps, grab bars and modified wheelchairs.

Although Lorraine does not talk, Phil still talks to her, asks her questions and involves her in daily conversations. He buys her cards and tells her he loves her. For the Kitsons, caregiving is another part of their loving marriage.

June Meade & Rhonda Madison, West Portsmouth

June Meade and Rhonda Madison work together to care for Clyde, June's husband of 62 years and Rhonda's father. Almost three years ago, Clyde experienced adverse reactions to medications that profoundly affected his independence. Rhonda began staying with her parents to help her mother care for her father. As a team, they help Clyde remain at home and engaged in his community.

June and Rhonda have developed a system to help Clyde with transfers and meals. By monitoring and documenting his activities and behaviors, they provided his doctors with information that helped eliminate all medications Clyde had been taking.

They acquired a hospital bed, wheelchair, exercise equipment and other tools from the Veteran's Administration to strengthen his muscles. A home health care agency comes three mornings a week to help and a local church built a ramp for the family.

When Rhonda's husband required quadruple bypass surgery, she continued to stay at her parents' house while going to the hospital to be with him. She works to balance the demands of both families, while still providing excellent care for her father.

June and Rhonda balance their caregiving duties with staying active in the community, particularly the Portsmouth Memorial Day Program. They organize volunteers and make sure that Clyde continues to participate in the Memorial Day parade, as he has for many years.

Pauline F. Moss, Maineville

For Pauline Moss, caring for others is an important part of her life, and she works very hard to help all the members of her family. She is devoted to caring for her husband, Norman, who is disabled from strokes.

Pauline learns all she can about current treatments and how to cope as a caregiver. She attends a support group and has learned how to work with Norman. In addition, she also cares for her daughter and granddaughter. They help with Norman's care as much as possible. Pauline also drives to Columbus to help her other daughter, a widow with two children. Pauline takes care of others, even while dealing with her own health issues.

Pauline's love for Norman keeps her going. According to her daughter, who nominated her for the Elder Caregiver Award, "My mom is always giving to somebody, whether it's her time, her love or her support."

Jeanne Nelson, West Carrollton

Jeanne Nelson has cared for her husband for almost 20 years. Ronnie, who is a quadriplegic, chose to remain as independent as possible in his own home. Jeanne ensures that he gets the 24-hour a day care he needs to remain close to those he loves.

Jeanne uses specialized equipment to transfer Ronnie. She drives him to all physician appointments and coordinates his care among all his caregivers, provided through the PASSPORT program and by Medicare. She fills in when help is not available. Jeanne accomplishes all this despite her own health struggles.

The couple celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in March. They are role models for how love and a desire to live life to the fullest can carry any family through adversity.

Pandora Neuhart, Woodsfield

Pandora Neuhart became her father, James Neuhart's, advocate and caregiver in 1998. She has researched his condition and has learned how to give him the care he needs in their home.

She has modified not only the home, but also the family's routine. She bought a newer truck with adjustable lumbar seats to help minimize his back pain when they travel. They purchased a hospital bed with a special mattress. She also had the bathroom remodeled to meet his needs.

Pandora is solely responsible for James' care in the evenings and on weekends, in addition to her full-time job. She said she could not do it all without the excellent caregivers who help her.

Pandora sees her caregiving role as one way she can give back to her father. "Dad and his conditions are never far from my mind. Being a caregiver is not a switch you can turn on and off."

Nancy Shambaugh, Byesville

Nancy Shambaugh is a registered nurse and PASSPORT supervisor for the Area Agency on Aging, Region 9, but she started bringing her work home with her in a very unique way when she started caring for her mother, Norma Yaquinta. In doing so, Nancy not only honored her mother's wishes, but also helped carry on her mother's tradition of caring for others in the family.

Before she became ill, Norma was very active. She was a caregiver as well, for not only her spouse, but also her own mother. After the loss of her spouse and mother she came to live with Nancy and her husband, Mark, in 2008. Norma took pleasure in assisting her daughter and son in law by helping with daily tasks of cooking and cleaning for them until she could do so no longer. In 2009, Norma was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Nancy was Norma's only child. Without any other informal support, she and Mark chose to keep Norma in their home and provide for her as she had provided for them.

In December 2010, Norma fell, broke her hip and went into a nursing home for rehabilitation. While continuing to work full time, Nancy still visited Norma daily at the facility. Demonstrating that caregiving doesn't stop at the nursing home door, Nancy advocated for her mother to ensure she received all the necessary care.

Norma passed away in February 2011. Even though she is no longer providing direct care, Nancy has become an advocate for a person's right to age in place, in a setting of their choice, based on the experience she gained with her mother.

Carol Sonnenberg, Napoleon

Carol Sonnenberg lovingly provided care for her husband, Darwin (Darv), for more than seven years until he passed away in September 2010. They had been married for 52 years.

Darv had Alzheimer's disease and functioned at the level of a five year old. Carol learned many techniques to manage his behaviors. She would redirect his attention or use simple touches or hand signals to convey concepts. She continued to involve him socially by taking him to family events. Two days a week, Darv attended coffee shop at the Fulton County adult day care facility.

To create a more manageable environment for Darv, Carol made the difficult decision to move from their large rural home to a condominium. Carol always discussed options with Darv, even though he could no longer make decisions. Although changing environments for Alzheimer's patients can be challenging, with help from the family, Darv adapted to their new condo and thrived with its fewer distractions and responsibilities.

Their new fully accessible home had a remote monitoring system that sounded an alarm if Darv left his bed or opened a door. He wore a Project LifeSaver radio transmitter, provided by the Defiance County sheriff's office, which would have helped police track him if he ever wandered.

Carol attended Alzheimer's Association meetings and a caregivers' support group. She understood caregiver stress and shared her stories with new members. Her support system also included the assistance of their extended family and friends. All family members helped and the young grandchildren were especially accepting of their Grandpa's condition.

Carol met the challenges of caregiving by "Living in the moment and taking one day at a time."

Mary Martin Stouffer, Kingsville

Mary Martin Stouffer and her family took her mother and father into their home when her father could no longer care for her mother alone.

With the support of her family, Mary cares for her mother, Virginia, who suffers from dementia. For the past three years, Mary has protected her, calmed her anxiety and affirmed her values. She restructured Virginia's daily life and provides care in a manner that limits conflict or opposition.

Mary is the mother of six children, ranging from seven years old to young adulthood. She has integrated her parents into her household, while maintaining her priorities as a wife and mom. Even the youngest child knows how to make sure that Grandma is safe and supported. The children have learned lessons about life that are invaluable.

Mary's care for her mother has impacted her entire family. Her brother, who nominated Mary for this award, said, "We could not possibly maintain our careers but for the sacrifices of our sister. She leads with wisdom and with love. Her leadership is powerful and it protects not only my Mom, but all of our families and the work that each of us contributes in our communities."

Raymond Sword & Debra (Debbie) Lawson, Elyria

Raymond Sword has cared for his wife, Helga, for more than 12 years. Their daughter, Debbie Lawson, moved in with her parents to help her father in his endeavor to ensure Helga's quality of life while they work to keep her safe and comfortable at home.

Ray has an innate knowledge of Helga's needs and how to meet them. He learned how to use a lift for transfers and how to maintain various medical appliances. He purchased a van with a wheelchair lift so he can take Helga to her appointments. To help her remain connected to the community, Ray set up a hospital bed in front of a window in the great room, where she can see the activity outside, as well as be in the center of all household activity. He plays music or the television for stimulus. Ray stays near Helga's bed most of her waking hours, since she wants him near her at all times.

Debbie cares for Helga at night, when the elder woman is awake and talkative, so that Ray can sleep. Debbie also cooks the meals that Ray feeds Helga.

Ray uses the Lorain County Office on Aging's housekeeping and respite services. He also has used the office's minor home repair. At various times, he has used the services of Meals on Wheels, hospice, the Wound Clinic, home health care and a hairdresser who comes to the house to cut Helga's hair.

Both Ray and Debbie have faced their own health issues and they have chosen to change their lives to continue caring for Helga. They demonstrate how caregiving really is a family affair.

Mary Weagle, Wheelersburg

Mary Weagle is the wife and caregiver for Robert, who has been an Alzheimer's patient since 2000. She provided all his personal care until his placement in a nursing home in January 2011.

Since Robert's diagnosis, Mary strived to maintain his dignity by finding him volunteer jobs helping others. In 2004, when he was no longer able to volunteer at the usual places, she brought him to "volunteer" at the adult day center, where he helped others during bingo. Robert attended the center with the help of grant money available through the Area Agency on Aging District 7, Inc.

Mary received tips and education from the Alzheimer's Association support group. She also shares her experiences with others to help them on their journey. Mary received respite care five days a month through hospice. Robert's daughter, who is a nurse, also helped when in town.

Mary, despite her own diagnosis of breast cancer and lymphoma in 2004, continued to give her husband excellent care. Her biggest concern about her health is to be able to live long enough to care for Robert.