Mindful Care Adult Day Services, a nonprofit organization in Rutherford County, will host an open house on Friday, March 24, 2017, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be at New Vision Baptist Church, 1750 N. Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro, Tenn., where the program has operated for the past 9 years.
A buffet lunch will be served and Dr. Tom Starling will deliver the keynote address titled "Honor Thy Mother and Father," at noon. In addition, the organization will unveil a new informational video about its services to families with loved ones affected by early onset Alzheimer's and other health-related issues. Members of Leadership Rutherford have partnered with Mindful Care in organizing the open house.
Dr. Starling, a long-time friend and supporter of Mindful Care, is the CEO of Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee. He previously served as CEO of the Middle Tennessee Alzheimer's Association, a CEO of United Way of Rutherford County, and as a university administrator and hospital chaplain for institutions in Texas and Tennessee. Under his leadership MHAMT has received several awards and designations of achievement, including being named a finalist for the Marvin Runyon Award. Starling currently serves on numerous state and national boards to promote mental health and wellness.
The mission of Mindful Care Adult Day Services is to enrich the lives of those affected by memory impairment with large doses of love and joy, therefore enhancing their quality of life as much as possible--and to help their family caregivers maintain a healthy balance in their own lives. Surveys show that the sometimes debilitating stress on caregivers may be alleviated by their use of an adult day services program.
"Mindful Care is a loved one's second family, a place of compassion, love and joy," said Tina O'Brien, founder and executive director. "Caregivers have an exhausting responsibility, and often they need to rest or to run errands or even to continue employment. At Mindful Care, their loved one will make new friends in a safe and comfortable environment."
Mindful Care operates Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must be at least age 55, and they may attend the program all or part of a day, depending upon their individual circumstances.
Daily activities include mental, cognitive, physical and social stimulation in order to maintain each participant's sense of self as long as possible and to preserve a level of human dignity. Participants take part in arts and crafts projects, sing-alongs, interactive games and discussion groups, special celebrations and field trips to local restaurants and points of interest. Visiting guests include school children, musical groups, and four-legged friends, among others.
Mindful Care fees are extremely affordable when compared to the high costs of nursing home care, assisted living and at-home professional care. The added benefit is that the loved one can return home at the end of the day to the comfort and familiarity of family. Visit mindful-care.org for details and information about the fee-assistance program.
More than 5 million people in the United States are stricken with the disease; more than 3,000 in Rutherford County. Experts have said that in the next 10 to 20 years there will be a "tsunami" of Alzheimer's because of the aging Baby Boomer population and the fact that people are living longer. In a recent PBS special titled "Alzheimer's: Every Minute Counts," Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey noted that when the number of Alzheimer's cases triples in the years ahead, the cost of care will equal the nation's defense budget.
Adult day services like Mindful Care will become increasingly essential in order to keep costs down for families and to allow the affected loved one to remain at home as long as possible.
For more information, please visit mindful-care.org or call 615-542-4371.
