What happens when dedicated professionals and community leaders ―people who understand the joys and challenges adult-child caregivers experience each day in caring for their aging parents ―become passionate about providing meaningful support for front-line family caregivers? Well, if you’re in Winston-Salem, NC, you start ACAP Winston-Salem!
With more than 60 people attending the inaugural program ―area caregivers and professionals, ACAP Winston-Salem steering committee members, and representatives of ACAP Hickory (NC) as well as the ACAPcommunity Board of Directors ― ACAP Winston-Salem was launched after months of planning by the chapter’s steering committee, a community-based group representing a diversity of local senior care businesses, organizations and agencies. Janet Jones, Administrator, Beverly N. Jones III, MD, PA, and Kathy Long, Past Vice President, Williams Adult Day Center, serve as co-coordinators for the chapter. Other steering committee members are Lana Benton, RN Patient Advocates; Jessalyn Bridges, NC-DHHS; Bob Cain, Piedmont HomeHealth; Lori Carter, Augsburg Lutheran Church; Lindley Curtis, SECU Family House; Melissa Hunt, Hunt Insurance Solutions; Teresa Jackson, Area Agency on Aging; Ben Limehouse, Liipfert Law; Rita Maugle, Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem; Typhany Morrison-Brooks, Professional Advocate, Epiphany Health Advocates and Creative Communications; Jim Pollard, Retired Pastor and SHIIP Volunteer; Sandra Rinaldi, Senior Services; Brent Stephens, Craige, Jenkins Law; and Pam Prevatte, a Winston-Salem native now living in Hickory, a frequent ACAP Hickory attendee, who initiated the effort that resulted in ACAP Winston-Salem.
With ACAP’s mission of providing information, resources, support and community for adult-children as they care for their aging parents and for themselves, the September 18 inaugural program offered information about some of Winston-Salem’s resources for elders and caregivers. Bob Cain, Vice President, Piedmont Home Health; Sandra Rinaldi, Vice President, Senior Services; Deb Burcombe, Program Director of Outreach, Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention; and Sam Matthews, Executive Director, The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, shared information about their organizations’ services and answered questions from attendees. The panel was moderated by Dr. Althea Taylor-Jones, Forsyth County Aging Services Planning Committee.
ACAP Winston-Salem offers ongoing, cost-free, educational programs the 3rd Tuesday of each month at Knollwood Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall, Building B, 330 Knollwood Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27104. Programs will be 5:30-7:00 pm and will address a wide range of topics related to aging, family dynamics and adult-child caregiving. Each month, a local, respected, content-expert speaker will provide an educational presentation of evidence-based information and answer attendees’ questions. Program sponsors will also be available to provide additional community resource information for attendees. Upcoming programs include:
October 16 Medicare and SHIIP (Speaker: Holli Ward, Certified SHIIP Counselor with The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem)
November 20—Elder Law and Your Parents (Speaker: Kate Mewhinney, Managing Director of the Elder Law Clinic & Clinical Professor Law, Wake Forest University)
December 18—Caring for a Loved One With Dementia (Speaker: Kathy Long, RNC, BSN, NCDT, Past Vice President, Williams Adult Day Center)
January 15, 2019—Preventing Falls (Speaker: Laura Plunkett, Matter of Balance)
February 19, 2019—Housing Options for Seniors – Private and Public (Speakers: Sandra Rinaldi, Senior Services, and Corinne Auman, Choice Connections)
The remainder of 2019 programs are being scheduled.
ACAP Winston-Salem is the newest chapter of ACAPcommunity (Adult Children of Aging Parents), a nationally unique 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that originated in Hickory, NC that currently has chapters in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Although programs are open to all, recognizing the relationship dynamics between parent and child and, therefore the uniqueness and impact of caregiving for an aging parent, ACAP educational programs (monthly face-to-face presentations through local chapters, audio podcasts, and online resources) are designed to support adult-children in their caregiving journey as well as to support their taking care of themselves and preparing for their own aging.
We hope you will join us for ACAP Winston-Salem!
