The Lynchburg College Beard Center on Aging, in partnership with the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging (CVAAA), recently received a $10,000 grant from the Genworth Foundation to help establish an Aging & Caregiving Resource Center at CVAAA in downtown Lynchburg at 501 12th St.
The resource center, which is scheduled to open Sept. 1, 2009, will be staffed by an LC graduate student and community volunteers who will receive extensive training. It will serve Region 2000 including Lynchburg and Bedford cities, and Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell counties.
"Our goal is to set up similar centers within each locality and at easy access for persons throughout Region 2000 in the next five years," said Denise Scruggs, director of the Beard Center on Aging.
The center is part of a "Caring for Our Caregivers" Initiative that will enrich the lives of local seniors, as well as provide support services to the growing number of caregivers in the region.
Lynchburg College and area agencies will collaborate to provide caregiver training in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010. The two-session, five-hour training program will address a variety of issues related to caregiving, including legal issues, financial planning, caregivng techniques, and end-of-life issues.
The training sessions will be held at the Adult Care Center of Central Virginia, 621 Court St. Certified nursing assistants will be available to offer recreational and social activities to the seniors while family members are in training. Classes will be offered on consecutive Saturday mornings at dates to be announced. Cost will be $20/person which includes caregiving during training.
The number of persons ages 65 years and older in the United States is expected to double from 35 million to 71.5 million between 2000 to 2030. In Central Virginia, as of July 1, 2007, one in three persons (83,455) was 50 years old and older. At the same time, one in six persons was 65 years old and older. The local population is expected to grow in proportion to the national population.
Between 2008 and 2050, the population that is 85 years and older is expected to more than triple from 5.4 million to 19 million.
An estimated 44 million Americans 18 years and older serve as unpaid caregivers for older family members and friends. Virginia is ranked 12th in the nation for the number of family caregivers, with more than 740,000 caregivers.
Thirty percent of family caregivers are 65 years or older, and 15 percent of caregivers are 45- 54. Most caregivers are ill-prepared for their role and have little or no support. Nationally, the value of this unpaid caregiving is $206 billion annually.
Five million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, including 5,600 locally. By 2025, an estimated 21,000 people in the Lynchburg region are projected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
In Region 2000 there is currently no single agency or program identified to serve the group of "caregivers" in our community. Lynchburg College's Resource Center and training programs will fill a critical need in Region 2000.
For more information, contact Denise Scruggs, director of the LC Beard Center on Aging, at 434/544-8456.