JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church on James Island offers caregivers a break from the day-to-day challenges of caring for a loved one with dementia through a program called Respite Care Charleston.
Becky Heath brings her mother, Gwen, to the program three days a week. Heath said her mother’s cognitive ability has declined and that dementia has changed her mother’s personality.
“I just remember my mom always being a positive person. And I almost feel like in dementia it brings out the opposite personality,” Heath said.
What the program offers
Respite Care Charleston provides support and services for families living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Deborah Reynolds, with Respite Care Charleston, said the program includes arts, crafts and dancing, offering participants socialization and a sense of belonging…