The Alzheimer’s Association - Florida Gulf Coast Chapter is here for you when & how you need us.
Please
click here for a calendar of
Programs & Activities scheduled in your area.
Support
The Alzheimer's Association
Helpline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in 140 languages. Our staff is highly trained and knowledgeable about all aspects of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Helpline provides emotional support to the caller as well as information about Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, Chapter services and referrals to community resources. The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter maintains up to date information on home care, adult day care, care coordination, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, eldercare lawyers, financial planners and transportation.
Call us if you have questions about:
- Alzheimer’s disease or memory loss, medications and treatment options, brain health and care options.
- How the Association can help you.
- Care giving tips and respite care options.
- Services available in your community and referrals.
You can also call us for emotional support — as often as you need, whenever you need. We know that living with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming at times. Remember, we are here for you — all day, every day.
E-mail Help
If you prefer, send an e-mail to
infofgc@alz.org. We check our e-mail daily and will respond to your inquiry within 24 hours Monday - Thursday or within 24 hours of a weekend or holiday.
Our professional staff is dedicated to helping people navigate through the difficult decisions and uncertainties people with Alzheimer’s and their families face at every stage of the disease. We can provide care consultation services to you by telephone, e-mail or in person. These include:
- Assessment of needs
- Assistance with planning and problem solving
- Supportive listening
We offer a variety of support groups for for caregivers and others dealing with Alzheimer's disease. Groups are facilitated by trained volunteers and Chapter staff. Several locations offer respite care services. If you plan to utilize respite care please call the contact listed for the support group in advance.
No one needs to be alone when managing care for someone with dementia. Our online suite of support services can help you find and plan for care. Use them to widen your care options and help you cope with the challenges of Alzheimer’s.
To learn more about the Alzheimer's Association online care tools,
click here or click any of the services below:
Senior Housing Finder - Locate licensed facilities in your area
Search a current list of licensed assisted living residences, nursing homes and other types of senior housing.
Learn more
Lotsa Helping Hands - Coordinate help from family and friends
Create a private online group calendar to keep track of friends, family members and neighbors who offer help with caregiving tasks.
Learn more
Alzheimer's Navigator - Map out a plan to approach Alzheimer's
When facing Alzheimer's disease, there are a lot of things to consider. Alzheimer's Navigator helps guide Caregivers to answers by creating a personalized action plan and linking you to information, support and local resources.
Learn more
Caregivers Message Board - Connect with others online
Tap into a vibrant community of Alzheimer caregivers for tips and emotional support.
Learn more
Care Giving 101 - Learn new caregiving skills
Check out our portal for a list of learning options that will guide you in Alzheimer caregiving.
Learn more
The Florida Gulf Chapter provides respite relief for caregivers on a planned or emergency basis. Respite services will range from day services in the client’s home to up to a week in a residential assisted living or a skilled nursing facility.
Every year Program Specialists from each of the Chapter's offices plan an activity such as Rays game, a picnic or a lunch cruise in the Gulf so that caregivers in their area will be provided the opportunity to "Take the Day Off". As needed, respite care is donated by local providers.
Education
The Alzheimer’s Association offers dozens of fact sheets and brochures.
Click here for a listing.
Partnering With You Doctor: A Guide for Persons with Memory Problems and Their Care Partners. PDF files of this helpful booklet are available in both
English and
Spanish.
We also maintain a variety of educational materials (brochures, videos, audiotapes and books) on topics related to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.
To learn more about our library, call us at 1.800.272.3900.
You can also obtain copies of the
The Florida Gulf Coast Chapter's Services Brochure or the Memory Mobile Brochure by calling 1.800.272.3900 or e-mail your request to
infofgc@alz.org.
We offer many educational programs each year that address the specific interests of the general public, individuals with the Alzheimer's disease, their families and caregivers.
The Chapter offers training tailored to meet the specific needs of any professional working with people living with dementia. Chapter staff are Certified Trainers for the Dementia Care Training mandated by the State of Florida as a requirement for Assisted Living Facilities, Skilled Nursing Facilities and Hospice State licensing.
Alzheimer’s disease and other disorders that cause dementia know no boundaries. Many individuals and families in ethnic and cultural minority groups are in need of solid information about Alzheimer’s disease and health resources. For assistance in
Spanish or French please e-mail
nparente@alz.org or call
727.578.2558 ext. 126.
- Chinese Educational Materials (Coming Soon)
- Korean Educational Materials (Coming Soon)
- Spanish Educational Materials
Resources
MedicAlert® + Safe Return® is a nationwide identification, support and enrollment program that provides assistance when someone with Alzheimer's or a related dementia wanders and becomes lost. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If an enrollee is missing, one phone call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver. When a person is found, a citizen or law official calls the toll-free 24-hour emergency response number on the identification product and the individual's family or caregivers are contacted. The nearest Alzheimer's Association office provides support during search and rescue efforts. Through a collaboration with MedicAlert®, should medical attention be required access to a personal health record is immediately available.
There is a first year enrollment fee of $55, with a $35 annual renewal fee. Financial assistance for MedicAlert® + Safe Return® may be available if necessary.
Optional Jewelry for Caregivers
For a reduced fee of $35, caregiver jewelry, along with all the benefits of membership, is available. In an emergency, it alerts others that you provide care for a person with Alzheimer's or related dementia.
Please contact us at 1.800.272.3900 for more information.
Learn More About Medic Alert + Safe Return.
The Chapter maintains updated information on home care, adult day care, care coordination, assisted living, skilled nursing facilities, eldercare lawyers and transportation available in the community. Our staff and trained professionals can help assess whether a specific care provider meets the needs of an individual with Alzheimer’s.
For more information, please contact us:
By phone: 1.800.272.3900
By e-mail: infofgc@alz.org
T
he Florida Gulf Coast Chapter’s Memory Mobile is the only mobile support, prevention and education service delivery vehicle in the country. Funded through the State of Florida, Department of Elder Affairs, the Memory Mobile provides outreach education, care consultations, memory education and caregiver education targeting low income, rural, and/or isolated people living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.
To learn when the Memory Mobile will be near you visit
our calendar page and/or to schedule the Memory Mobile for an event, call
1.800.272.3900.
Interested in learning about Clinical Trials you and/or your loved one with Alzheimer's or a related dementia may be eligible to participate in? Are you a researcher seeking participants for your Alzheimer's or dementia related clinical trial? The Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch®, is a free service that makes it easy for people with Alzheimer's, caregivers, families and physicians to locate clinical trials based on personal criteria (diagnosis, stage of disease) and location. Right now, we are in the midst of an exciting time.
More than 100 research studies pertaining to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are underway and recruiting volunteers. Alzheimer's Association TrialMatch lets you search these trials quickly and easily. It also narrows results to those trials where there is a reasonable chance to be accepted for enrollment. This saves time for both you and the researcher. Enrolling the right participants helps researchers accurately measure the effect of a treatment.
Click here to learn more about TrialMatch™.