Island group reaches out to those who care for others
With our area’s aging population, one island group provides support to people who have found themselves in the role of caregiver for those who can no longer care for themselves. The Alzheimer’s Support group, head by St. James City resident, Sonny Koutsoutis, has served to provide hope and understanding to dozens of islanders and their families. After caring for her mother during the late stages of Alzheimer’s, Koutsoutis realized the importance of support groups.
“I was living up north when my mother was diagnosed with the disease. Because she was here on Pine Island and needed to be in an assisted care facility, I felt I needed to see for myself that she was safe and happy,” said Koutsoutis. “When I arrived at the facility in Fort Myers I was not happy with what I found so I moved her to Connecticut where I could keep a closer eye on her and soon found myself in the role of caregiver. What happens to caregivers in many cases is that they are so busy caring for a loved one that they forget to take care of themselves. The meetings serve as a place to come and share what is going on in their lives and to get answers to questions about coping with the disease.”
After the passing of her mother, Koutsoutis relocated to Pine Island in 2004 and in 2007 began her support group.
“I really felt the need to start a support group here on the island because I quickly realized the need through other involvements,” said Koutsoutis. “Our group consists of caregivers who have loved ones in various stages of the disease and here they can relate what is going on in their lives and collectively we often come up with solutions for a wide range of situations.”
In addition to assisting caregivers of Alzheimers patients, Koutsoutis takes her efforts a step further by participating in an annual fund-raising and awareness walk.
“Last year there were two of us who participated in the Memory Walk in Fort Myers. Together we were among the top 10 fund raisers for this event,” said Koutsoutis. “The Alzheimer’s Association is dedicated to generating awareness about the disease as well as those living with the disease and those who must manage the financial and emotional challenges of life as a caregiver. I am impressed by the fact that more than 95 percent of the money they raise goes to this effort and very little is spent on administrative costs.”
The Memory Walk ’10, a two-mile walk, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 30, at Centennial Park in Fort Myers beginning at 9 a.m. those who would like to register to participate in the Memory Walk can visit alz.org/ memorywalk or for more information about the Alzheimer’s Association, call 405-7008.
According to information provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, there are 10 identifiable signs of Alzheimer’s. Early warning signs include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation to time and place, poor or decreased judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, changes in mood or behavior, changes in personality and loss of initiative.
The Pine Island Alzheimer’s Support group meets year round on the second Wednesday of each month at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Stringfellow Road in St. James City beginning at 10 a.m.
Everyone is welcome to attend and for more information, call Sonny Koutsoutis at 283-4980.