Althea Gubbels was 57 years old when her co-workers at an Algoma factory noticed she was confused about the routine parts of her job. A day of medical tests revealed the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease — like her father and grandfather before her — abruptly ending her career in December 1995 and turning her husband, Melvin, into her caregiver.
In 1997, Melvin turned to Home Respite’s Caring Tree Adult Day Center for support. He’d drop off his wife every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, knowing she was in safe hands for a day. It gave him time to get groceries, do his banking and take care of other personal business. He also took a nap, because caring for his wife was a 24-hour job.
On March 16, 2000, Althea was admitted into a nursing home. She died on June 15, 2001, at the age of 63.
While it has been 15 years since his wife attended the adult day center, Melvin, 82, remains grateful.
“I really appreciate them taking care of my wife. I would recommend them to anyone,” he said.
When his wife grew stubborn and didn’t want to go to the Caring Tree, the center’s coordinator, Bonnie Johnson, came up with a solution, Melvin said.
“Every morning Bonnie would call, and I’d give the phone to my wife. She’d ask my wife if she’d come in to work that day,” he said. Althea would hang up the phone and tell her husband she had to go to work — and he was happy to give her a ride. Once she was at the center, she kept busy with a variety of field trips, crafts, games, stories and puzzles.
“I want to keep them busy,” Johnson said. “If I can put a smile on their face, I’ve done my job.”
Johnson keeps them active, even tires them out, so they sleep better at night. People with Alzheimer’s disease sometimes are more agitated and disoriented and may pace or wander in the evening. Johnson said a busy day helps counteract this condition, referred to as “sundowning.”
Memory games are another staple of the program. Johnson encourages the clients to talk about their past, for instance by looking at photos of their wedding and recalling the details of the special day.
“We try to keep their memory up,” she said.
Johnson said each client at the day center has specific goals to meet, set by the individual’s family. Although some clients suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, others have different impairments or are simply looking to get out of the house while their caregivers are at work.
“They get to see different people than just their four walls at home,” Johnson said.
Clients are charged on a sliding fee scale, based on their finances.
“I’ve been here 16 years and never turned anyone away,” Johnson said. She said the upcoming Taste in Oconto County raises the funds used to cover expenses when a client can’t pay in full.
Home Respite Care is a nonprofit organization that relies on fundraisers, donations and memorials to make ends meet.
Besides the adult care center, Home Respite Care’s trained, volunteer staff provides free in-home respite care for up to four hours per week, providing caregivers with much needed breaks. In addition, Home Respite Care provides daily, reassuring phone calls to caregivers.
“The point of the service is to provide the relief for the caregiver,” said Debbie Arndt, executive director of Home Respite Care.
Arndt said providing care in a home setting is beneficial because it allows individuals to stay in a safe environment they know and are comfortable with, surrounded by people who love and care for them. However, sometimes the care can become too much to handle alone. That’s where Home Respite Care steps in.
“They were a great help,” Melvin said.
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