Social services are coming to LW

MEMBER RESOURCES

The GRF Member Resources department is finalizing an effort to bring a full team of social worker advocates to LW to help residents navigate challenges associated with aging.

The GRF Member Resource & Assistance Liaison Office is partnering with Orange County’s Adult Protective Services, Council on Aging, Alzheimer’s Orange County and the Golden Age Foundation (GAF) to provide a comprehensive pool of information, resources and education.

In the meantime, Member resource liaison Robann Arshat is still working diligently to connect residents with needed resources, which is the most important aspect of her position.

LW’s on-site collaboration will include Alzheimer’s OC, which was once the local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, a national organization founded in 1980 by family caregivers and individuals who recognized the need for ongoing support to help people faced with the challenges of the disease.

The Orange County chapter opened its doors in 1982. In December 2015, the group changed its name to Alzheimer’s OC and announced it was breaking away from the national organization to create a local non-profit. That would allow the group to retain local control of funds and expand into direct patient care through adult day programs.

Alzheimer’s OC offers a variety of programs at no cost. Anyone can reach out for help and information whether he or she is living with the disease or not. Alzheimer’s OC helps caregivers, families, friends, and neighbors by providing brain health and dementia education, advocacy, care, consultations, community resource connections, Adult Day Health Services, residential memory care services and more.

Alzheimer’s affects approximately 84,000 people in Orange County. It disrupts daily life for the person with Alzheimer’s and the people surrounding that person, posing challenges that can be difficult for everyone.

Every day, there is more information available about Alzheimer’s and dementia, and Alzheimer’s OC is a great place to get help and learn.

For immediate information at no charge, the 24/7 Helpline at (844) 435-7259 can answer questions and direct you to more educational information. You can also visit the website of at www. alzoc.org/services for a wealth information at your fingertips.

The more people learn and understand how the disease works, the more compassion and patience they will have.

—Roban Arshat, member resources