Some of you know about my grandmother dying from Alzheimer’s and the lasting effect that experience has had on me and my family… my mother and my aunt cared for her at my aunt’s home until the day she died… she was cut from the old fashioned mold… lived and believed that you do unto others as you would have done unto you… her daughters did not want her to live out her last years and months in a nursing home… so they made a commitment to her even when she did not recognize their faces or voices… they loved her and knew that somewhere inside she still loved them back.

My aunt was retired and my mom eventually was able to retire and in their retirement spent many years making sure my grandmother had many things including respect… love… and all of the other typical comforts of life.

Unfortunately, the scenario that worked for my mom and my aunt does not work for everyone.  When a person works full or even part time it is difficult to care for a loved one who truly cannot care for themselves.  For some people that means a nursing home facility… for others the Adult Care Center of Roanoke Valley can help. 

Recently, I became a board member for ACCRV because the service they provide gives caregivers a sense of peace and a much needed break from the full time task of making sure a family member gets fed and clothed and bathed etc.  It was an honor to be asked to be on the board for this organization and in a small way it makes me feel like I am doing something for people who must rely on others at all times.

I agreed to be on the board but was not able to make it to the orientation for new members and then missed my make-up appointment… finally today I made it in spite of the weather… The executive director called me this morning… I told her that she was on my calendar and I would be there… at first I thought it might be a reminder call but then realized she was calling to tell me that if I couldn’t make it because of the weather we could reschedule… I was determined to cross this task off of my list… and after my orientation am even more sure that I made the right decision to be a part of this non-profit. 

If you would like to learn more about Adult Care Center of Roanoke Valley and the services they provide click here for a link to their website.