BAKERSFIELD, Calif (KERO) — The Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County is bringing awareness to Alzheimer's and brain diseases this month to highlight the resources available for caretakers across the county.
About 12,000 residents in Kern County are living with Alzheimer's, according to the Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County. And at their local campus, ADAKC offers daycare and support groups for residents dealing with the challenges of caring for a loved one.
Ross-Smith's wife lived with Alzheimer's for 13 years before passing away last year. He recalls during her initial diagnosis he thought he could handle it on his own, a choice he now advises against.
“Sad, frustrated that it’s happening, but you can’t let that frustration eat at your mind. You just have to accept what’s happening,” said Ross-Smith. “Don’t try and do it on your own. Accept help. If help is not offered. Don’t be afraid to ask for it.”
Another caretaker in the support group, Jayne Mervau agrees, remembering her first experience with dementia as a kid when her grandfather passed from Parkinson’s disease. Then in adulthood, she says she moved to Bakersfield with her husband in 2018 to care for her mother-in-law.
“We had no idea what we were up against.”
Mervau says people often don’t understand what it’s like taking care of someone struggling with memory loss, explaining that connecting with people on the same journey can make a difference.
“You can express yourself in a group setting even if it’s something ridiculous and funny or sad. You can cry together. You can laugh together where you couldn’t really laugh with people who don’t understand your journey.”
According to the Alzheimer's Association,11 million unpaid caretakers provide for more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's in 2023, costing the nation $345 billion a year. And experts predict those numbers could skyrocket by 2050 to 13 million Americans living with the disease, costing nearly one trillion dollars
Janelle Capra the executive director of ADAKC says she experienced the disease firsthand when her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.
“It can be devastating. For us personally, my mom needed to live a 24/7 memory care. At the highest, we were paying about $7,500 a month just for her care in her facility. That’s not counting medications. That’s not covering other things.”
Capra says to make care affordable for families ADAKC offers daycare for $15 an hour and for qualifying families that rate could be cut in half thanks to grants. In addition to daycare services, ADAKC offers weekly support groups, educational classes, counseling, and a newly released podcast to support caretakers across Kern.
“We are one of the few communities that have this wonderful facility, and people need to take advantage of this facility here.”
