Alzheimer’s Association discusses how employers can support caregivers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – June is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and the Kentucky chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association is taking a step to advocate for not just those with Alzheimer’s but their caregivers as well.

At the threeTHIRTYone Wedding & Event Venue, they sat down with local elected officials and business leaders discussing how Alzheimer’s affects them and their employees as well. This is what Alzheimer’s Association leaders call the ripple effect of a diagnosis.

“This ripple effect has always been there. We say the person with the diagnosis isn’t the only one affected, but we’re talking about it more through awareness, through raising funds. Now that there’s early detection with new treatment, we’re knowing more about it so we can do more about it,” said Erin Gillespie, the director of Community Engagement for the Alzheimer’s Association Kentucky Chapter.

For caregivers, working full time while caring for loved ones can be incredibly difficult and filled with stress. The association explained just how supporting these people at work should be a top priority, especially as more is understood about the disease and its impact on our society.

“They’re never actually off work. And so they’re leaving early. The retiring earlier. They’re coming in late. But if you have that support for your employees, that means your business is going to boom. And you’re connecting with and supporting those that are helping you but also helping our community,” Gillespie said.

So for the business leaders here in south-central Kentucky, what would that kind of support look like for their employees?

“I was fortunate enough to have an employer that allowed me to come and go when I needed to. Not everybody has that. I was able to take phone calls from caregivers that were working during the day if I needed to. We want the employers to have grace as much as they can, with people who have to deal with being a caregiver after hours or on weekends to give them a little bit of time to decompress during the day, because it is a huge, overwhelming task,” said Paula Madison, a former caregiver.

Of course, another way to support is to come out and support them during all of their events.

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s has been a staple of the community for many years and still remains one of the main sources of funds for research It will take place in October this year at Circus Square Park in Bowling Green.

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