Marnie Cagle, Tracy Ector join the Georgia REACH team

AMERICUS — The Middle Flint Area Council on Aging and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving announce two new members joining the Georgia REACH team. Georgia REACH provides support to families with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia in Crisp, Dooly, Macon, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Taylor and Webster counties. Marnie Cagle accepted the position of caregiver associate and Tracy Ector was appointed as director of services in July. They achieved their certification as Georgia REACH Interventionists on July 20. Cagle immediately began providing services to families in Sumter, Macon. Crisp, Dooly, and Schley counties. Ector will also be meeting with families part-time but essentially is working with Gayle Alston, program manager, to oversee the program.

“Finding the right people to staff this program is critical to its success." said Alston. “With Marnie and Tracy joining Naomi Latini who has been with the program since January, we feel confident that we have a very talented and capable team.”

Caregivers who join the Georgia REACH program meet with their caregiver associate on a regular basis over a six-month period. These meetings are usually held within the caregiver home, but can take place wherever the caregiver prefers. The program begins with providing the caregiver with information about Alzheimer’s and dementia and area resources that can provide support for them as they care for their loved one.

Skills for coping with stress, improving self care and managing problem behaviors are topics covered over the remaining months of the program. “To my mind, the most helpful piece of the intervention is the development of behavioral prescriptions.” Rick Birkel, Ph.D., project director points out, “The caregiver associate and the caregiver decide together what that individual finds most challenging as they provide assistance to their loved one. Together they come up with a few strategies that might help with those challenges. If these strategies work, great ... on to the next challenge. If not, then they brainstorm for something new to try.” It’s this ongoing coaching or brainstorming through problems that helps the caregiver develop problem solving skills that will serve them long after their participation in Georgia REACH has concluded.

With a full team in place, the Georgia REACH staff is actively seeking more families to serve with the program. There is no cost for the program and all information is held strictly confidential. Georgia REACH is available to a broad range of caregivers, as Alston points out, “One thing I really like about this program is that it is open to everyone providing care to someone with dementia. It doesn’t matter what your income is or what your assets are or even your age.That means people who do not qualify for many services available through Medicaid funding can be served by Georgia REACH”

For more information about this program call Ector at 928-2126.

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