Meet Playwright Steve Yockey

In Blackberry Winter, Vivienne struggles with caring for her mother, an Alzheimer’s patient whose condition is showing signs of deterioration. In some of Steve Yockey’s most poignant writing to date, she confesses and confronts the myriad challenges of caring for someone who is vanishing slowly before her very eyes.

Playwright Steve Yockey on “Blackberry Winter” during the New Rep Theatre’s 2016 performance.

The insidious thing about Alzheimer’s is that it’s incurable and it only moves in one direction. But that doesn’t mean talking about it has to be devoid of anything but sadness.

Steve Yockey, on Alzheimer’s

While Blackberry Winter‘s narrative centers around Alzheimer’s disease, it’s played out from the viewpoint of a caregiver instead of a patient.

In 2015, more than 15 million Alzheimer’s caregivers provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care, which is estimated to be valued at over $221.3 billion. By the year 2050, this amount could rise by over five times to add up to over one Trillion dollars.

Caregivers are a very important, and often under acknowledged, group of selfless individuals. They do everything they can for those they take care of, often giving up various aspects of their life in order to make sure that others have the best care available to them.

List of resources for families, patients, and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s

ElderCare.gov
Connecting you to community services
The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a nationwide service that connects older Americans and their caregivers with information on senior services.

U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs
Through VA’s Caregiver Support Line and Caregiver Support Coordinators, you can find the support you need to provide the Veteran you care for with the best care at home. Both of these resources can help you find help that’s close to your home.

National Institute on Aging
Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center
“Turning Discovery Into Health” As a public, U.S. Government-funded resource, the ADEAR Center strives to be a current, comprehensive, unbiased source of information about Alzheimer’s disease. All our information and materials about the search for causes, treatment, cures, and better diagnostic tools are carefully researched and thoroughly reviewed by NIA scientists and health communicators for accuracy and integrity.

Guide to Medicare Benefits
This resource will help seniors and their loved ones understand what Medicare is and provide some basics about how the various aspects of the program work, such as whether Medicare will cover senior care services like an assisted living community or home health care.
https://www.caring.com/medicare/

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center
Support and Hope for Caregivers
For over 30 years, the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center (ADRC) has served as a Central Florida based grassroots nonprofit and community resource center dedicated to providing support and hope for families and individuals caring for a loved one with some form of dementia. ADRC empowers caregivers with the knowledge, support and programs to help them prepare for and cope with the challenges that lie ahead. Our organization offers a variety of peer support groups, counseling sessions, educational programs and wellness events to help caregivers in the central Florida with the day-to-day tasks of caring for their loved ones, as well as maintaining their own health. Please visit our Services pages to learn more.

BrightFocus Foundation
Cure in Mind. Cure in Sight.
A page with more resources for Alzheimer’s community

Help for Alzheimer’s Families
Another page with even more resources for Alzheimer’s community

The Pabst Charitable Foundation for the Arts
Supporting artists and art forms that are innovative, interdisciplinary, and diverse for ongoing impact in communities.
http://www.pabstfoundation.org/

My Caregiving Coach
The Caregiving journey can often-times leave you feeling alone and frustrated. Our mission is to help caregivers understand they have a team of support waiting for them, any time they need it.
http://mycaregivingcoach.com/

Financial Protection Information
A caregiver’s guide: Finance protection for those with Alzheimer’s. Keep your loved one’s credit and identity safe with these tips.

Author: Kayla Jean Mraz, Orlando Shakes Marketing Intern