Gail Boardway of Westfield Respite Care, demonstrates one of the items her group uses in their program.

A program in Westfield aims to offer caregivers a break from the stress of their duties people at a presentation at the Findley Lake Community Center learned last month.

Gail Boardway of Westfield Respite Care talked about how her organization provides four hours every second Wednesday for caregivers to get a break from their daily responsibilities. “We just make sure it’s a nice, safe environment and we have fun,” she said. “We make sure the families have four hours of peace and quiet.”

The presentation, geared to those in the area who need information about programs that offer care-givers time to refresh and re-charge while their loved one is engaged in social activities in a safe environment, was sponsored by Community Connections at Findley Lake.

Boardway and the volunteers who work with her are located in the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, which provides the space for the program, free of charge. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Boardway’s team provides activities and food for Alzheimers patients, as well as elderly people who are cared for by family members. “We are safe sanctioned, that is trained to work with elderly and children by the church,” she said. “We are also trained by the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Currently the organization has three people taking of its services, only one of whom has Alzheimer’s, Boardway said, but they have had as many as nine at one time. “We try to make it a fun day,” she said. “We want families to realize that for four hours, they don’t have to worry.”

Boardway said the day starts with coffee or juice. “One of the drawbacks of Alzheimer’s is that the people who suffer from it don’t get enough fluids,” she said.

Light exercise is also an important part of the day, Boardman said, although it has to be fun. “Our biggest hit is something that looks like a fly swatter with 20 feet of ribbon attached,” she said. “They love swirling those around.”

Lunch consists of softer foods to prevent any threat of choking, Boardman said. After that, they engage in quiet activities, such as large puzzles or an activity called water painting. In this activity, a person spreads water with a brush over what looks like a blank sheet of paper, and a picture appears, she said.

The day always ends with bingo, Boardway said. “Every session ends with bingo because it is very popular,” she said.

The program is totally one on one, with each volunteer developing a relationship with a participant, Boardway said. “Sometimes volunteers will swap if they are not getting along with their ‘buddy’ that day,” she said.

All of the volunteers are trained to handle situations when a participant gets agitated, Boardway said. One technique they use is giving the person a weighted blanket. “It helps calm people down,” she said. “It is like when you are a kid and wrap yourself up in a heavy quilt.”

Boardway told those gathered that the Alzheimer’s Association uses several colors to represent patients, caregivers and others involved in treatment. However, the color white stands for the hope for a cure. “There is a cure out there,” she said. “White stands for the first person who will be cured of Alzheimer’s.”

The Alzheimer’s Association, Western New York Chapter, provides a list of Respite Services/Community Social Programs that provide “one-to-one social companionship, meaningful activities and active engagement for individuals living with dementia.”