Watertown Area Memory Care & Aging Network
Respite Care Financial ASSISTANCE for caregivers
WAMCAN is proud to sponsor The Respite Care Financial Assistance for Caregivers!
Caregivers are often caregiving 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with little or no breaks. Caring for someone with Memory Loss is a mentally challenging and physically stressful time, especially when that caregiving happens in your own home. They need and deserve time away from the situation. They need to take time to care for themselves.
That time can be an hour or two a week, or an evening out with friends, or going to their own medical appointments, or a trip out of town to attend an event or just about anything that would give them RESPITE to recharge their own batteries.
Our financial assistance is available for those things. It is a simple one page application for the caregiver to fill out and return. These are NOT income based. The scholarship amount may range from $20 to $1000.
When the application is returned, WAMCAN has a Respite Care Financial Assistance Committee who review it and make a decision on rewarding the caregiver.
Kyle's Story
Here is what Kyle G. Horst (who received the Respite Care Financial Assistance) said:
"I was the first recipient of the Respite Care Scholarship in 2012. At the time, I was the full-time caregiver of my Grandfather at 22 years old---young, inexperienced, and completely out of my wheelhouse as I uprooted my life from Texas and moved to Watertown. I was directed to The Watertown Alzheimer's Support Group, where they helped support me mentally for many months, but when they found out I needed a surgery and did not have a caregiver for him during my seven day recovery in the hospital, Respite Care Financial Assistance covered the cost of an outside caregiver until I got back on my feet." This past year, Kyle also donated back to this program that helped him.
If you need support..
Please check out this wonderful service. The application for the program is available at the monthly Watertown Memory Care Support Group meetings or you can email cl.memory.group@gmail.com
The funds to support Respite Care Financial Assistance come from the Watertown Memory Care Walk and donations. We are grateful for the support!