Nonprofit offers support for children with aging parents

By SHELBY ISRAEL shelby@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Atlanta chapter of Adult Children of Aging Parents, a nonprofit that provides support to children and caregivers of aging adults, met at Town Square Sandy Springs Feb. 8.

The free, monthly program provides resources, informational presentations and an open floor Q&A for adults who have aging parents or loved ones.

Chapter Coordinator Mary Remmes said the program offers an important social setting for individuals who may not have anyone else to share their experiences with.

"The other thing that it addresses is the community support, because caring for an aging parent can be very isolating,” Remmes said. “Really, I mean, I’ve coached so many people, and they all say to me, ‘Are we the only ones that have this? Am I the only one that experiences this?’ And I say, ‘No, you know, you can't see it because you're in it, but I see it all over.’”

Remmes worked to start the Atlanta chapter over the past 10 months. Remmes has worked as a life coach and aging parents guide and relationship expert for eight years.

She has a background in long-term care, working as a nursing home admin- istrator before beginning her path as a life coach.

Remmes said she saw a need in the Atlanta area for social support and education to address the struggles and nuances of the experience. The chapter, the first in Georgia, will provide resources and work to reduce the stigma surrounding the discussion of aging parents, she said.

Organizations like ACAP are important,

Remmes said, because the experience is not discussed widely.

“So, people are reluctant to talk about it,” Remmes said. “And yet, I think if we can normalize that it's hard to experience this, but it doesn't mean that it has to be. There's ways and resources available to take this situation that is hard and make it more manageable for you without giving up your life, without putting your life on hold for 10 years or 20 years.”

Each meeting will follow the same template, with refreshments, an information session and a Q&A. Remmes said the chapter uses data from the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving to cater each presentation to the evolving needs of aging adults and their caregivers.

Remmes said Dr. Melissa Black, a physician at Empower Family Medicine and a core sponsor of the chapter, seeks to start a chapter in Decatur as well. Black was one of two speakers at the Feb. 8 meeting, where she shared information and tips on understanding dementia and how to provide care.

The Atlanta chapter will meet at 5:30 p.m. every second Wednesday at Town Square Sandy Springs, an adult daycare center that employs reminiscence theory, a process designed to stimulate mental activity. The interior of the facility is designed after mid-century America, with a retro model car, a diner-themed cafeteria and a green town square.

Remmes said the facility, another core sponsor of the chapter, offered its use at no cost.

“And I just think that level of engagement and that environment that they have brings out the absolute best in the people who are even experiencing cognitive decline,” Remmes said.

Leader Tara Tucker