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Newsroom Charity of the Month: As we age, it is normal to become a little forgetful. For those suffering from Alzheimer’s, however, it can be normal to become lost on their own neighborhood street. To assist those with Alzheimer’s and their families, the MDRT Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to the Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area (ASCA). This grant will fund the Safe Return Program, which will work to safely locate individuals that may dangerously wander due to this degenerative mental illness. Robelynn H. Abadie, LUTCF, a 10-year MDRT member from Baton Rouge Louisiana sponsored this grant. “Instituting this program provides a safety net for families. It is imperative that we provide support and protection for this growing and very vulnerable segment of our population,” Abadie said. This grant will allow 111 families of loved ones living with this disease to register their relative by providing emergency contact information, a physical description and a recent photograph. Through ASCA’s Safe Return Program, each registered individual will receive an identification number which is entered into a national database. Additionally, they will also receive a bracelet or necklace with their own personal identification number, the Safe Return toll-free phone number, and the words “memory impaired” inscribed. According to ACSA, nationwide one out of 10 people have Alzheimer’s, and in the greater Baton Rouge area more than 15,000 individuals suffer from this progressive and degenerative disease. ASCA is non-profit organization founded in 1983 as a support group for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s, and today serves a 10-county area of Louisiana. ASCA’s mission is to provide education and support services to memory impaired individuals and their caregivers, and ultimately enhance community awareness of Alzheimer’s and other related dementia disorders.
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