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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 10, 2004 Trinity Respite Center participants, from left, Joe Phillips, Don Harris, and Doyle Greene discuss their indoor bocce ball contest Wednesday in Ashland. Trinity provides a break for people who are giving care to family members with memory loss. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Respite center offers care for the caregiver By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune ASHLAND — It’s 2 p.m. Wednesday — time for a little bocce ball at Trinity Respite Center. Doyle Greene, Don Harris, and Joe Phillips take turns bowling the grapefruit-sized balls, teasing each other, laughing and trading joking. All three men have a degree of memory loss, but you wouldn’t know it from their conversation and the smiles on their faces. Doyle, Don and Joe, all Ashland residents, come to Trinity when their families need a break from the full-time job of caring for someone who can’t be left alone. They spend six hours a day socializing and enjoying simple games. Family members get a break to recharge their batteries and do whatever they want. "It’s been a life-saver for us," says Joyce Phillips of Ashland, who brings her husband to Trinity one day a week. "It gives Joe a place where he can react with others, and I know he’s safe. For me it’s a grand relief." A new infusion of federal Medicaid money will allow low-income families to take advantage of respite care. Trinity recently won a contract for $75,000 to provide respite care for families whose monthly income does not exceed $1,692 for one or two people. Prospective participants must also have total financial resources of less than $2,000 for a single person or $3,000 for a couple to qualify for the Medicaid funding. Advertisement "People who meet the income guidelines can come into our program and have their tuition paid altogether," says Elizabeth Hallett, Trinity’s administrative director. "Caregivers who are tired and in need of a break can bring their loved ones in and get some time off." She says people who have memory loss generally fare better if they can stay at home in the care of family members. "Family members can keep reminding them of the things that are familiar to them that they can’t remember on their own." For caregivers, however, the chore can be overwhelming, both physically and emotionally. "The word that came into my life when my husband became ill was ‘vigilance,’ " Joyce Phillips says. "It was so hard to have any time off." "It was extremely exhausting," she says, "and that’s why caregivers need breaks." Hallett estimates that the Medicaid contract will allow as many as 10 additional families to take advantage of regular respite care during the next two years. The exact number will depend on how often each participant visits the center. Trinity charges on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of $50 for six hours of respite care. Hallett says that’s substantially below the $10 to $17 per hour a family might have to pay for a caregiver to come into the home. Moreover, people who go to Trinity spend the day involved in games and physical activity rather than sitting in front of the television at home. "The stimulation they receive helps them retain what they do remember longer, and it helps them remain socially and physically active," she says. "That helps prevent depression and feelings of isolation." Trinity families agree to bring their loved ones in one, two or three days a week. One day drop-ins are not accepted. The regular weekly schedule benefits the caregivers and their loved ones, too, Hallett says. "We’re really committed to giving caregivers a break," Hallett says. "One day off is not a break. "People with memory like the routine," she says. "It gives them a comfort level. They get acclimated to coming here." Hallett, a former midwife and peace activist, says the elders she works with are her teachers. "They teach me how to be in the moment and how to make every moment special and how much that means when we keep the energy moving in a positive direction. "There is a spirit that moves through the give-and-take of the work. You can almost see the spirit moving through the hearts of all of us as we get energized and connect with each other." For more information To learn more about Trinity Respite Center, and determine whether someone you know might qualify for Medicaid-supported respite care, call Elizabeth Hallett at 482-2465. Trinity welcomes visitors. Contact Hallett to make an appointment. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers