Shands and Eldercare Hosts Annual Fundraiser to Support Al'z Place

By Janice C. Kaplan - January 2011 

On Saturday, February 5, the RD Air Services hangar at Gainesville Regional Airport will be transformed for an evening of fine food, great drinks, live music and dancing as Shands ElderCare hosts its annual Moonlight & Martinis gala.

The event raises money to support Al'z Place, a daycare facility for adults with memory impairment due to Alzheimer's disease or other disorders or injuries. ElderCare of Alachua County runs the facility, which is a program of Shands HealthCare. ElderCare's mission is to be an advocate for the elderly and provide services that will build capacity, maximize independence and enrich the quality of life for the Seniors in Alachua County and North Central Florida.

"We keep a pretty routine schedule of cognitive and physical activities," said Robyn Katz, program manager and recreational therapist. "We find that music is really stimulating. Somebody who may not remember what they had for lunch will remember all of the words to songs from years back."

The clients' daily schedule includes seated exercises set to lively music, classic movie showings and a variety of games like bingo, beanbag toss and a memory game called Reminisce. Breakfast, a hot lunch and a light snack are served during the day. Clients are admitted based on a combination of a wait list and medical need for services. While most are Seniors, the center does see younger patients who qualify. The only requirements are that the client has a medical diagnosis of a memory disorder and lives in Alachua County.

Moonlight & Martinis is the center's biggest fundraiser of the year, which is especially important given a tight budget and the personal attention the patients need. With a staffing ratio of one caregiver per three clients (Katz said the industry standard is closer to 1:6), Al'z Place relies on a variety of personnel.

"All of our staff members are CNAs or nurses, and I am a recreation therapist," she said. "We also bring in a lot of volunteers from the community to help with that ratio. We have some people whose family members had been clients here for years, and they've decided to give back by staying on as volunteers."

One such volunteer is Barbara, whose husband was a client until he passed away in 2005. She has volunteered since then and enjoys the camaraderie she shares with the clients.

"I have been here more or less ever since as a volunteer," she said. "I really enjoy it because I'm in the same age group, for one thing. There are many different things we can do. I work basically through the kitchen, but that does not stop me from being a companion to the many different individuals we have here."

Josette is a client who started going to Al'z Place after a brain aneurysm and stroke left her with short-term memory loss. She lives with her son and daughter-in-law, but comes to the facility everyday while they are at work.

"They're very nice, very caring people, and they try to keep us active," Josette said, explaining it is no easy feat finding activities for everyone in a group that has such a wide range of memory issues.

"They work very hard," she said. "You can see what they're doing, but they make it fun. And I have never seen any one of them lose their cool, ever."

The benefits of Al'z Place reach well beyond the client. Caring for a loved one with memory loss is exhausting both physically and emotionally. Adult daycare centers such as Al'z place provide a respite for caregivers who dedicate their lives to friends and family who are unable to stay alone safely. Al'z Place also offers a caregiver support program on the third Thursday of every month, a group that is open to caregivers regardless of whether their loved ones are enrolled at the facility.

Moonlight & Martinis will include food and drinks by O!O Tapas and Tinis, Dragonfly Sushi, The Flour Pot bakery, Omi's Kitchen and more. The band September Rent will be on hand to supply the tunes for partygoers to dance the night away. Among the highlights of the evening is the art auction, where framed paintings by the clients will be put up for bidding. The work is done through The Art Without Boundaries Association, an organization that uses painting, movement, singing and storytelling known as Mneme (tm) Therapy to stimulate brain activity.

"The client will pick a picture out of a book, and the therapist will help guide them through the process," Katz said. "She'll tell them to move the brush left and right, or dab the brush, to get them to use that side of the brain or one of their senses."

The patient then names his or her work and the picture is framed for auction. Copies of the paintings are also sold as prints, cards and other products to raise money for the center throughout the year.

While sponsors such as The Atrium, GW Mills and Comfort Keepers have lined up to help, Al'z place is still accepting sponsorships and selling tables for the evening. Businesses and individuals wanting to sponsor the event or purchase tickets ($75 each or $700 for a table of ten) can call ElderCare at 352-265-9040.

With the growing number of county residents with Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other memory disorders, Al'z Place needs help to continue providing an uplifting, positive place for those who need it.

"It's a caring and fun environment," Katz said. "A lot of people say, 'How can you do it every day, isn't it depressing?' But we have a lot of fun. Our clients know that they're accepted when they come here."

INFO
Moonlight & Martinis
Saturday, February 5
7:00pm
RD Air Services hangar, Gainesville Regional Airport
For tickets and sponsorships call ElderCare: 352-265-9040.