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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 23, 2005 Rowena Rush can�t help laughing while trying to do warm-up exercises prior to singing with participants in Lifespan Respite Cooperative on an outing to Barnett Woods senior center in Medford. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven A place, and time, to care Lifespan Respite Cooperative benefits families coping with illness By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune For Tom Melgard and Rowena Rush, Tuesday’s gathering was just another chance to show off at the piano and practice their pool shark skills. But for family members who provide around-the-clock care for the disabled seniors, the 2½ -hour outing offered by Medford’s new Lifespan Respite Cooperative was nothing less than lifesaving. "It’s like ‘Phew!’ " said Sally Melgard, 65, who snatched a few moments to take care of holiday chores. "It gets to you, being with someone who requires your total attention all the time." Her husband, 63, is a retired California social service administrator who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about seven years ago. Rush, 90, is a longtime Ashland homemaker who suffered a stroke that left her unsteady on her feet and prone to falls. Advertisement "We just feel we need someone with her all the time," said Linda Dragoo, 57, Rush’s daughter. Even the most dedicated caregivers need a break now and then, said Kathy Garrett Canape, project supervisor. But for some families, the typical cost of respite care — $10 to $15 an hour — can’t be squeezed out of slim budgets. That’s where the Respite Cooperative comes in, Canape said. It’s a fledgling program aimed at giving participants the chance to volunteer or pay vastly reduced rates in exchange for care for their loved ones. Care in the cooperative costs just $5 an hour. Sponsored by the Lifespan Respite Network of Jackson County, a program of the ARC of Medford, the new project was funded last year by a $19,000 grant through the Oregon Community Foundation. The need for such a service became obvious to Pam Swisher, director of the respite network. Family members of disabled people ranging from children to seniors would call for help, only to be disappointed at the high cost of care. "Right now, I have 105 families registered with my program," Swisher said. "I know that there are more than 3,000 children in Jackson County with special needs." Providence Medford Medical’s recent announcement that it will close an adult day center likely will increase the need, Swisher said. Few subsidies exist to help pay for respite services. Often, the only alternative is to forgo relief — or an even riskier option. "Sometimes, that’s where the neglect comes in, they have to leave them alone and something happens," Swisher said. The new program launched in August, with a handful of caregivers and clients at two donated sites. Older people are served at the Barnett Woods senior center, while children ages 5 and older are served at the Rogue Valley Family YMCA. So far, only seven children, four seniors and 11 volunteers are participating in the program. But Canape and family members are certain those numbers will increase rapidly once word gets out. The quality of the program attracted Dragoo, who worried about leaving her mother with another caregiver. "When you think about it, it’s like sending your child to day care," she said. "You don’t get just any day care." But Dragoo and Sally Melgard agree that the twice-a-week program is as much a boon for the clients as it is for their families. "I feel this co-op is beneficial to my mother. She gets to socialize and she enjoys it so much," Dragoo said. "It gives her an outing, somewhere to go that’s just for her." Tom Melgard also enjoys the social aspect of the center. "He doesn’t really need caretaking so much as he needs to be interactive with people," his wife said. "They have activities rather than just kind of sitting around." At $5 an hour, the price is right. Both Melgard and Dragoo simply pay the fee. Other families have volunteered care or services such as compiling a newsletter or completing office chores, Canape said. "We’re trying to be very creative as to how they might volunteer," she said. For Tom Melgard, the center has been so rewarding his wife is considering cutting back his time at another, higher-cost respite center. As his Alzheimer’s disease progresses, enjoyable activities are becoming even more important. "They have pool and a little golf thing and the people are fun and light-hearted," Sally Melgard said. "He was a music major in college and he still plays the piano a little bit if you like ‘Malaguena.’" Details For information about the Respite Cooperative, call Kathy Garrett Canape at 621-5196 or e-mail her at [email protected] Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail A place, and time, to care ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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