Rutherford Life Services, Inc. will use a $25,000 grant from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation’s Ribbon of Hope program to provide an eldercare wellness management program for hundreds of caregivers in Polk County and surrounding areas.
Rutherford Life Services is a community-based nonprofit that exists to be a positive and proactive voice for people with disabilities.
RLS and Polk County Council on Aging have partnered to provide quality education and services regarding caregiver depression, burnout and isolation.  The eldercare wellness management program is built on the experience and knowledge gained from working with hundreds of caregivers over the past 10 years.
Organizers say there are two components to this program. First, the program will raise awareness about caregiver burnout, increase knowledge of signs and symptoms of burnout and depression, and reduce isolation associated with long-term caregiving.
Secondly, Rutherford Life Services will expand and provide adult day health care services to caregivers in Polk County and surrounding communities. RLS, which has provided services to families in Rutherford County since 2001, also serves Polk families through the Polk Life Care adult day care center in Columbus. RLS is one of the 50 nonprofit organizations awarded grants since March 2008 from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation’s Ribbon of Hope program.
Polk County is ranked highest in the state of North Carolina for percentage of people age 65 or older (23.6 percent), with the senior population being the fastest growing segment. Polk Life Care’s program director, Christy Beddingfield, said, “How well we care for the frail elderly, and their caregivers, in our communities is the innermost social and moral test this generation will encounter. The eldercare wellness management program will educate families, help them navigate through their difficult journeys and provide adult day health care services to lighten their loads.”
The GlaxoSmithKline Foundation’s Ribbon of Hope program provides one-time grants of $25,000 to nonprofits for projects furthering science, health and education in their communities.
For more information about the eldercare wellness management program, contact Christy Beddingfield at 828-894-2007 or cdunaway@rutherfordlifeservices.com.