Church offers respite program for caregivers of loved ones with dementia

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Marilyn Strabel stands next to her husband Bud. She dropped him off to spend a couple of hours at Abundant Harvest’s Respite Program at the recreational hall in Knowlesville. Seated are Cheryl Babcock, chair of the program, and co-chair Ruth Higgins, a member of the church who organizes the crafts. Respite is provided from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month.

KNOWLESVILLE – One Wednesday a month, Marilyn Strabel of Clarendon has a few hours to relax, run errands or have lunch with friends.

“Or do anything else I want,” she said. “But the day is more for him than me.”

That is the day she drops her husband Bud off at the respite program at Abundant Harvest’s Recreation Hall in Knowlesville.

Marilyn has been taking Bud there for almost three years, and he looks forward to it as much as she does.

Bud is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and as his disease progressed, Marilyn called the Office for the Aging to inquire if there was a respite program available in the county.

Since then, she has been bringing Bud to the Knowlesville program.

This past Wednesday, she was going to use the opportunity for free time to visit the graves of her parents and Bud’s to clean the gravestones.

The respite program is led by Cheryl Babcock and is operated under the auspices of and with the support of the Alzheimer’s Association of Western New York. She got the idea from a friend who runs one in Erie County, asking her why she didn’t do it in her home town.

“I said I’d think about it, and I prayed about it and brought it up to congregation,” Babcock said.

Ruth Higgins is co-chairwoman of the program at Abundant Harvest.

“The Indian Falls United Methodist Church has a wonderful program and I went and checked that out,” Higgins said.

The first respite program started in September 2021. Attendance has been sparse, but those who attend have a great time.

Higgins, a member of Abundant Harvest, takes care of crafts, which include painting, jigsaw puzzles and making favors for Mother’s Day. They have also made flags for the Fourth of July out of clothespins and wreaths for Christmas. Sometimes they do exercises or have special presentations, such as a recent one by Cheryl Watts, who makes characters out of balloons, or a visit by the church’s choir at Christmas time.

They have also had picnics outside, and after lunch they play bingo, Babcock said.

All those involved are volunteers, including Linda Baker and Linda Stinson, who cook lunch, and Sylvia Armer.

“This is a very heart-warming program,” Babcock said.

Anyone wishing to drop a loved one off for respite is asked to call Babcock at (585) 704-8173, or Higgins at (585) 798-4483 and leave a message.

“I feel very secure leaving Bud here,” his wife said. “The best thing for him is to keep him doing things.”

Babcock agreed that Alzheimer’s patients need interaction with other people.

Other respite programs are now operating at the Christ Episcopal Church in Albion located at 26 S Main St., Albion, NY 14411, and Holley Community Center. These are funded by a grant which United Way of Orleans County received from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation’s Legacy Fund. These programs are available from 1 to 4 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at the Christ Episcopal Church, and the second and fourth Thursday  of the month in Holley. Another program under the Orleans County Office for the Aging takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays at the Nutrifaire site at 16 Academy St. in Albion.  The respite program at Abundant Harvest’s Recreation Hall in Knowlesville and the Orleans County Office for the Aging programs both serve lunch and it is free. In fact, all programs listed above remain free for Orleans County residents.