Community Leaders Learn About Role Of REAL Services
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
But thanks to the different forms of assistance offered by REAL Services of Kosciusko County, they’re living together in a rented home in Syracuse instead of a nursing facility.
The Smiths’ story was highlighted during a breakfast Tuesday morning sponsored by REAL Services at Westminster Hall, Grace College, Winona Lake.
REAL Services President and CEO Becky Zaseck welcomed the dozens of guests to the breakfast and said, “Our goal today is to tell you a little bit more about REAL Services so that when you walk away, you might know somebody who needs us, or you might know someone who chooses to volunteer, or you might know someone who chooses to support us in other ways.”
Since 1976, REAL Services has been in Kosciusko County, but started 50 years ago when the Studebaker plant closed in South Bend.
“That community decided there needed to be a place to retrain older workers, so REAL Services started something called Project Able. Then we received the first grant in the entire country to start a nutrition site, and we moved down into Syracuse at the Scout cabin 40 years ago with a nutrition site. And since that time, we’ve grown and provided additional services,” Zaseck said.
She continued, “Our whole goal, everything we do, is really targeted at helping people be as independent as possible.”
REAL Services has three major components, she said. It’s an Area Agency on Aging that allows it to provide services to the elderly; it’s a community action agency that allows it to provide services to low-income families to be self-sufficient; and it’s also Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana, serving families with Dementia and memory loss.
In 2015, REAL Services served 5,535 clients in Kosciusko County through programs from care management and in-home services to home weatherization and the nutrition program.
Kosciusko Team Leader Angela Rieder has a team of five people who oversee the care of about 400 people in Kosciusko County each day to help them live independently. Her staff assesses what a person needs to stay in the community, and then REAL Services authorizes and funds those services through a variety of funding sources.
The second largest REAL program is energy assistance, housed at 720 E. Winona Ave., where Rieder’s office is located. It serves about 800 people a year, Zaseck stated.
Pam Messmore, co-chair of REAL Services’ Outreach Committee, said she was contacted a little over a year ago to see if she would help get the word out about REAL Services.
She briefly shared an experience she had with Debbie Carriveau, director of the Institute for Excellence in Memory Care, South Bend.
About 1-1/2 years ago, Messmore’s mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia. At the time, she didn’t really know what that was, but her mom’s memory was getting worse. Messmore was referred to Carriveau, and she found her to be a very compassionate person with answers to about every question Messmore had.
“I can’t thank her enough. She’s a valuable support for me,” Messmore said, doing her best to hold back tears. “If anyone knows or has a loved one struggling with this disease, I would certainly recommend contacting her.”
Carriveau recently joined Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana as its director of Institute for Excellence in Memory Care.
“I came on board with REAL Services last year in July and it was to launch a new branch of service through Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana, which is an agency that has been in existence for many years,” Carriveau said. “Their focus and mission has always been free education, support, support groups, 24-hour hotline, in-home assessment, all kinds of things to educate and support family caregivers who are dealing with loved ones with any type of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease processes.”
Back in July, she said they were given a three-year grant from the St. Joseph County Community Foundation, which allowed them to launch the Institute. The Institute focuses on the education and mentoring of healthcare givers.
“Our role primarily at the Institute for Excellence in Memory Care is reaching out to long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, buildings that have dedicated memory care programs or units. Our role is one of education, professional certification for people in this area as a specialist; mentoring, consulting, problem solving for health care facilities,” she said.
It’s estimated that in the U.S. there are about 5 million people living with some form of dementia, she said. By 2050, that will triple partly because of the shear number of Baby Boomers. Carriveau also stated that it is estimated around 51 percent of all people over 85 years old are afflicted with some form of a dementia diagnosis.
“It is very, very prevalent and our mission is to impact the quality of life for those people who are living with the disease,” she said.
Zaseck then briefly discussed the Guardianship program that has been started in Kosciusko County.
“Our Outreach Committee identified the need for guardianship services. What we see are there are low-income folks that have no one else, someone has taken advantage of them, and there is no one to step forward and be their legal guardian,” she explained. “Through the Outreach Committee’s efforts and through the K21 Foundation, we now have a Guardianship program in this county.”
After a 13-minute video on REAL Services, Bernita Smith, who was featured in it with her husband of 18 years, Ron, spoke. Ron was too ill with COPD to attend.
Bernita said Ron became very ill about eight years ago and was admitted to the hospital, put on a ventilator and diagnosed with COPD. After a short recovery, he became very ill again and admitted to the hospital. Because of his illness and many medical and other bills, the couple became very deep in debt. Though they were used to living independently, they lost their home and had to move.
With Bernita’s income as their only source of funds, they had trouble making ends meet and they didn’t know where to turn. They were told of REAL Services.
REAL Services began assisting the couple immediately and helped them get other assistance as they needed such as filing for Medicaid.
“REAL Services has been a life-saving organization for my husband and our lives and our children’s lives,” she said, noting all the help REAL has provided to them. “At this time, Ron would like to thank REAL Services for all the help they have given to us and our family. If not for them, Ron and I would be in a nursing home.”
The breakfast finished with comments from Allen Holt, manager of volunteer services, Area 2 Agency on Aging; Jennifer Lucht, community volunteer; and Barbara W. Dicken, director of development, REAL Services.[[In-content Ad]]
But thanks to the different forms of assistance offered by REAL Services of Kosciusko County, they’re living together in a rented home in Syracuse instead of a nursing facility.
The Smiths’ story was highlighted during a breakfast Tuesday morning sponsored by REAL Services at Westminster Hall, Grace College, Winona Lake.
REAL Services President and CEO Becky Zaseck welcomed the dozens of guests to the breakfast and said, “Our goal today is to tell you a little bit more about REAL Services so that when you walk away, you might know somebody who needs us, or you might know someone who chooses to volunteer, or you might know someone who chooses to support us in other ways.”
Since 1976, REAL Services has been in Kosciusko County, but started 50 years ago when the Studebaker plant closed in South Bend.
“That community decided there needed to be a place to retrain older workers, so REAL Services started something called Project Able. Then we received the first grant in the entire country to start a nutrition site, and we moved down into Syracuse at the Scout cabin 40 years ago with a nutrition site. And since that time, we’ve grown and provided additional services,” Zaseck said.
She continued, “Our whole goal, everything we do, is really targeted at helping people be as independent as possible.”
REAL Services has three major components, she said. It’s an Area Agency on Aging that allows it to provide services to the elderly; it’s a community action agency that allows it to provide services to low-income families to be self-sufficient; and it’s also Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana, serving families with Dementia and memory loss.
In 2015, REAL Services served 5,535 clients in Kosciusko County through programs from care management and in-home services to home weatherization and the nutrition program.
Kosciusko Team Leader Angela Rieder has a team of five people who oversee the care of about 400 people in Kosciusko County each day to help them live independently. Her staff assesses what a person needs to stay in the community, and then REAL Services authorizes and funds those services through a variety of funding sources.
The second largest REAL program is energy assistance, housed at 720 E. Winona Ave., where Rieder’s office is located. It serves about 800 people a year, Zaseck stated.
Pam Messmore, co-chair of REAL Services’ Outreach Committee, said she was contacted a little over a year ago to see if she would help get the word out about REAL Services.
She briefly shared an experience she had with Debbie Carriveau, director of the Institute for Excellence in Memory Care, South Bend.
About 1-1/2 years ago, Messmore’s mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia. At the time, she didn’t really know what that was, but her mom’s memory was getting worse. Messmore was referred to Carriveau, and she found her to be a very compassionate person with answers to about every question Messmore had.
“I can’t thank her enough. She’s a valuable support for me,” Messmore said, doing her best to hold back tears. “If anyone knows or has a loved one struggling with this disease, I would certainly recommend contacting her.”
Carriveau recently joined Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana as its director of Institute for Excellence in Memory Care.
“I came on board with REAL Services last year in July and it was to launch a new branch of service through Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana, which is an agency that has been in existence for many years,” Carriveau said. “Their focus and mission has always been free education, support, support groups, 24-hour hotline, in-home assessment, all kinds of things to educate and support family caregivers who are dealing with loved ones with any type of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease processes.”
Back in July, she said they were given a three-year grant from the St. Joseph County Community Foundation, which allowed them to launch the Institute. The Institute focuses on the education and mentoring of healthcare givers.
“Our role primarily at the Institute for Excellence in Memory Care is reaching out to long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, buildings that have dedicated memory care programs or units. Our role is one of education, professional certification for people in this area as a specialist; mentoring, consulting, problem solving for health care facilities,” she said.
It’s estimated that in the U.S. there are about 5 million people living with some form of dementia, she said. By 2050, that will triple partly because of the shear number of Baby Boomers. Carriveau also stated that it is estimated around 51 percent of all people over 85 years old are afflicted with some form of a dementia diagnosis.
“It is very, very prevalent and our mission is to impact the quality of life for those people who are living with the disease,” she said.
Zaseck then briefly discussed the Guardianship program that has been started in Kosciusko County.
“Our Outreach Committee identified the need for guardianship services. What we see are there are low-income folks that have no one else, someone has taken advantage of them, and there is no one to step forward and be their legal guardian,” she explained. “Through the Outreach Committee’s efforts and through the K21 Foundation, we now have a Guardianship program in this county.”
After a 13-minute video on REAL Services, Bernita Smith, who was featured in it with her husband of 18 years, Ron, spoke. Ron was too ill with COPD to attend.
Bernita said Ron became very ill about eight years ago and was admitted to the hospital, put on a ventilator and diagnosed with COPD. After a short recovery, he became very ill again and admitted to the hospital. Because of his illness and many medical and other bills, the couple became very deep in debt. Though they were used to living independently, they lost their home and had to move.
With Bernita’s income as their only source of funds, they had trouble making ends meet and they didn’t know where to turn. They were told of REAL Services.
REAL Services began assisting the couple immediately and helped them get other assistance as they needed such as filing for Medicaid.
“REAL Services has been a life-saving organization for my husband and our lives and our children’s lives,” she said, noting all the help REAL has provided to them. “At this time, Ron would like to thank REAL Services for all the help they have given to us and our family. If not for them, Ron and I would be in a nursing home.”
The breakfast finished with comments from Allen Holt, manager of volunteer services, Area 2 Agency on Aging; Jennifer Lucht, community volunteer; and Barbara W. Dicken, director of development, REAL Services.[[In-content Ad]]
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