NEVADA CITY, Calif. November 16, 2016 – Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation Executive Director Kimberly Parker was on hand yesterday at the Nevada County Board of Supervisors meeting to accept a resolution declaring November 2016 as Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness and Family Caregivers Month.
Parker stated the number of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in western Nevada County is steadily rising and is estimated at over 3,000.
Earlier this year, SNMH Foundation’s campaign “Remember Me: The Face Behind Dementia” raised money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Outreach Program.
The full text of the resolution is below.
RESOLUTION 16-556 PROCLAIMING NOVEMBER 2016 AS ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH IN THE COUNTY OF NEVADA
WHEREAS, a volunteer Alzheimer’s Council was formed in 1995 and came under the umbrella of Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation a year later working together to raise funds to assist those struggling with Alzheimer’s and dementia; and
WHEREAS, a quarter million dollar grant from the California Endowment enabled the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation to formally create the Alzheimer’s Outreach Program in 2002 which is still managed through the Home Care Department at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital; and
WHEREAS, the Alzheimer’s Outreach Program provides crisis navigation, connection to resources, training for professionals, a seven week YES I CAN Caregiver Empowerment program, respite funding and more to the caregivers of the 3,000+ Alzheimer’s and dementia patients in our community; and
WHEREAS, the care provided to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia is wide ranging and often all-encompassing with about eighty-five percent of caregiving services being provided by family members; and
WHEREAS, the national Alzheimer’s report projected the number of Alzheimer’s cases in California to be at 590,000 for 2015, predicts that number to be 840,000 by 2025 and states that 50% of cases never receive a diagnosis intimating the figure might actually be much higher; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, a dedicated group of volunteers helped raise $200,000 to expand services for the Alzheimer’s Outreach Program through the Remember Me: The Face Behind Dementia campaign; and
WHEREAS, the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital and its Home Care Department provide tremendous community education and encourage all people concerned about memory loss to speak to their physician and seek the services of the Alzheimer’s Outreach Program Coordinator.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Nevada do hereby proclaim November 2016 as Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and Family Caregivers Month throughout the County of Nevada, and recognizes the efforts of the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Remember Me: The Face Behind Dementia Committee in increasing services for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, as well as providing assistance to family caregivers challenged with caring for loved ones in Nevada County.