First, I would like to say that this victory was brought about by the concerted effort of a group of organizations and individuals that worked together in a way that was truly inspiring. One thing that I learned through this process is how powerful we are when we join forces, and how the synergy that results from uniting for a common cause can be used to make change. I haven’t seen this kind of collaboration for a long time. Disability Rights California, the National Senior Citizens Law Center, the National Health Law Program, the AARP Foundation, the California Association for Adult Day Services, Morrison & Foerster, and others negotiated at length with the DHCS before reaching a compromise that preserves ADHC-like services for people who are at risk of institutionalization. In addition, a dedicated group of families, caregivers, staff, and individuals showed up at rallies, wrote to their representatives, attended meetings, and did everything in their power to convince the government that the services their loved ones received are absolutely critical to their well-being and happiness. I am deeply moved by the passion and commitment I witnessed on so many levels.

But future is still uncertain, and our struggle is far from over.

The program that will replace ADHC, called Community-Based Adult Services (CBAS), will offer center-based skilled health and nursing care, therapies, transportation, and other services to eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Because individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia are high on the list of those entitled to care under CBAS, we are hoping that most of our ASEB participants will qualify for the new program, which will be offered through Medi-Cal managed care plans. Part of the settlement was that the ADHC elimination date would be extended from December 1, 2011 to February 29, 2012. During that time, we at ASEB will be working with the appropriate agencies to make the transition from ADHC to the new program as seamless as possible.

While I’m hopeful that the families we serve will receive the services and support they need, we have yet to learn the particulars of the new program. For example, the state has not yet indicated how much it is willing to reimburse us in our efforts. That’s now under discussion, and we will continue to advocate for the critical care that will keep people with Alzheimer’s in their own homes and communities, and out of hospitals and institutions. I know that we need to continue to work together, to avoid becoming complacent, and to be on fire about standing up for what we know is right. We need all the help we can get in the coming months.

Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation to everyone who has brought about this encouraging victory and who rallied around ASEB during this difficult time. To all of our families, board members, and staff, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You sustain me and give me the hope and energy to continue this vital work.

Wishing all of you the very best of the holiday season and health and happiness during the New Year.

Sometimes we forget what’s behind these numbers. What do dollar values mean in terms of a person’s life, their welfare, their happiness? It’s easy for insurance actuaries. They can tell you how much a life is worth from now until the time of death. But when you work with people as they get older, when they begin to open up the portals onto the landscape of their lives, you realize that it’s much bigger than that, much richer. The value of a life—its experiences, the people that have passed through it, the joys and struggles, the daily routines and simple pleasures—how do you account for that? How can we continue to squander the enormous wealth our elders have to offer us while we tally value only in terms of dollars and cents?

We believe in investing in our youth because, we say, our children are our future. But what are we teaching our youth when we turn our backs on the under-served, the elders, the people we think aren’t capable of pulling themselves up by their bootstraps? What are we teaching our youth about taking care of people who need help taking care of themselves? The lesson should be that, as a community, we have a responsibility to every member. That we’re strong only if everybody eats, if everybody has shelter, if everybody feels safe. If any of us is missing these three things, all of us are in jeopardy.

I hope, when talking dollars and cents, we ask ourselves What is the price of companionship? Of kindness? Of comfort? Of eating a meal with others or going to sleep in your own home? What is it worth to honor a life fully lived? What do we lose, as a community, when we waste one of our greatest resources?

ASEB offers a comprehensive range of services for families facing the challenge of dementia. Our programs include Adult Day Health Care, Caregiver Support, Early-Stage, and Education & Training.

I grew up in the Bronx, in a neighborhood where it was a given that we were all responsible for each other. As children, we were responsible for the seniors around us. Any opportunity we had to serve them, to show them how much we honored them, to demonstrate how respectful we were of them, well—we knew we’d better not let that opportunity slip by. If the sidewalk in front of their houses needed shoveling, we did it without question. If my mother saw an elderly neighbor coming down the street with groceries, she sent us out to carry them. We helped the older members of our community up the stairs. We listened when they spoke. We were proud of our job, which was to make their lives easier for them.

Mural of tiles created by adult day health care participants
welcomes visitors to our Berkeley Center

These attitudes still inform my view of the world and my place in it. Sitting around the beauty parlor listening to my grandmother and her friends talk about their wealth of experience enriched my own life. It taught me that my journey would have been a lot harder if they hadn’t cleared the way for me. The reverence I have for elders goes beyond my professional knowledge about aging to what I learned in those New York brownstones. I am my brother’s keeper. We must take care of those who are less able than ourselves. People are not disposable. We are responsible for them. It is our job to make them as happy and comfortable as we can. I want my children to understand that they won’t be young forever. I try to teach them that we are not in this world alone, that we all want and need someone to care for us. The responsibility is ours.

This is a particularly challenging time—for our country, our communities, our neighborhoods, certainly for our seniors, and crucially for ASEB. The California state government has voted to eliminate adult day health care as we know it, and to replace it with a program yet to be defined with only half the current funding. But as the Executive Director of ASEB, I intend to embrace challenge and turn it into change. And from change will come innovation. This is our opportunity to turn ASEB upside down, to really look at the needs of our people and to create a model that fits exactly what they need within the financial parameters of what we’ve been given. I believe there are untapped resources for us to explore. I believe that there are creative ways to address our shortfalls. I believe in the spirit of innovation and the power of dedication to achieve our goals. But we need your help.

Since 1989 we have found ways to stay afloat so that we can give individuals with Alzheimer’s the services they so desperately need. But as number of people needing our help continues to grow and the funds we receive continue to diminish, we are reaching out to our community for support. Please give so that we can allot scholarships to people who can’t afford care on their own. So that we can continue to provide more than 63,000 nutritious meals and snacks a year, more than 34,000 van rides, more than 100 support groups sessions, and—perhaps most important of all—a safe, caring environment for people who rely on us for their well-being.

Subscribe via RSS, email, Facebook and Twitter.

A New Look, A New Direction

Welcome to Alzheimer’s Services of the East Bay (ASEB)’s new website. We’ve been working hard to create a site that’s easy-to-use, filled with information, and responsive to your needs. As a nonprofit organization that provides services for individuals with dementia, our goal is to provide safe and caring support that allows family members to continue to live at home for as long as possible. In addition to preventing premature or
inappropriate institutionalization, we help individuals maintain their highest possible physical and mental health, offer extensive support to families and caregivers, and educate the general community about issues related to dementia care. As we struggle to address the challenges that face those dealing with memory loss, we hope that this site will become a vital link between ASEB and you, our community.

Please browse the site to discover more about our history, goals, and services. We offer adult day health care, support groups for caregivers, an extensive training and education program, and referrals—among many other programs. We plan to add more features to our website in the near future. Check back soon for an introduction to our dedicated staff, more in-depth information about Alzheimer’s care, profiles of individuals who participate in our day care programs, details about our training programs, and ways that you can support our efforts.

We invite you to get involved. Please join our email list, subscribe to Executive Director Micheal Pope’s blog, donate or volunteer, and visit us often!