Rosalee Yeaworth, Ph.D., knows firsthand the importance of the Alzheimer’s Association to those suffering from the disease and those caring for sufferers.
Dr. Yeaworth, who served as dean of the UNMC College of Nursing from 1979 to 1994, spent about 20 years caring for her husband, Tom, as he battled Alzheimer’s.
During that time, the association provided necessary information about local care options, allowed her to form a support network and provided assistance in caring for her husband.
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Rosalee Yeaworth, Ph.D., who served as dean of the College of Nursing from 1979 to 1994, with her late husband Tom during an Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk in Omaha. Dr. Yeaworth said she was grateful for the help of the Alzheimer’s Association for the support it provided her in her nearly 20 years of caring for Tom as his disease progressed. The Alzheimer’s Association is among the many organizations that benefit from United Way funding. (Photo contributed by Rosalee Yeaworth) |
The Alzheimers Association is one of several organizations that receive support from the United Way. UNMC’s annual United Way fund raiser is underway and will conclude on Friday, Sept. 28.
Dr. Yeaworth has been involved with the association since her husband became ill. Tom died four years ago but Dr. Yeaworth remains active in the association, serving on the Midlands Chapter’s public policy committee and advisory board.
While dealing with Tom’s illness, Dr. Yeaworth utilized several association services including:
- Referral services that directed her to care options and financial help; and
- A safe return program that helped her find Tom when he would wander — a dangerous behavior commonly associated with the disease.
About 12 years ago, Dr. Yeaworth and Betty Craft, Ph.D., then a faculty member in the College of Nursing, started the first support group in Nebraska for persons in the early stage of Alzheimer’s and their spouses or caregivers.
Educational sessions with experts provided information about the disease, the latest treatment and research, help with problem solving, stress management and with legal issues. Separate support groups for the affected persons and for the caregivers allowed both groups to discuss their issues of concern.
“Support groups help people know they are not alone in the things they are dealing with,” Dr. Yeaworth said.
One of the hardest parts of the disease was watching Tom — a former college wrestler who served as an executive director for a family YMCA — slowly deteriorate physically and mentally, she said.
But the Alzheimer’s Association helped Dr. Yeaworth cope through her husband’s disease and, thanks in part to United Way funding, continues to provide such help to countless others.
“I’m very grateful for the Alzheimer’s Association and the help they provided during Tom’s illness,” Dr. Yeaworth said. “It’s an organization that provides an invaluable service to those who need it.”