Jean Ross is the kind of person who jumps out of bed each morning ready to change the world. When she sees a problem, she looks for solutions. Even though Ross is a nurse, owns her own business, and is the mother of three boys ages 10, 8 and 5, she wanted to do something to help seniors.
Ross
It all began after reading a study that showed Indiana didn’t rank very high in taking care of its seniors, so she signed up to become a volunteer at CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions to see if she could help. She’s not only helping, she’s making a real difference.
“With Jean’s involvement, our communities are literally improving before our eyes. I don’t take her role in that for granted for one second,” said Dustin Zeigler, CICOA’s director of community programs.
While Ross has been a volunteer less than a year, she spearheaded efforts to start a Memory Café at Conner Prairie this summer. It’s part of a partnership between the museum and CICOA-led Dementia Friends Indiana movement, which is working to break down stigmas and make it easier for those with dementia to engage in the community. Ross also has helped train Conner Prairie staff about dementia, and the museum will have maps and more signage to highlight areas with resting benches and quiet spots, thanks to Ross.
Memory Café is a series of 90-minute programs offering people with dementia and their loved ones a safe place to get out of the house and get engaged. This summer, about two dozen people with dementia and their loved ones explored 19th century artifacts. Guests for the Oct. 15 Memory Café will make cornbread, churn butter and dip beeswax candles.
“Memory Café brings people together once a month where they can hang out, be themselves, have a fun activity and connect with other people,” Ross said. “The museum is so cool to do this. There are a thousand different programs we can do – storytellers, World War II, music programs. The sky is the limit.”
As a nurse and owner of Kaybee, where she helps caregivers navigate care for aging family members, Ross has seen first-hand the challenges associated with dementia. Too often people with dementia become isolated, because of fear of how they may be treated or misunderstood when they are in public. As a volunteer for CICOA and its Dementia Friends Indiana movement, Ross wants to look for more opportunities to make people more aware of how to respond, treat and engage with people who have dementia.
To recognize her efforts, CICOA recently presented Ross with its annual Spirit Award, which honors the contributions of a volunteer who has made a long-term commitment to the mission of CICOA and the people it serves.
Ross said her goal is to give back and utilize her nursing background and perspectives to help make an impact in the community. In addition to volunteering for CICOA, Ross also is a volunteer advocate with The Center for At Risk Elders, board chairwoman for Indiana Community Health Worker Association, and vice president of Indiana Nurses Foundation.
About Dementia Friends Indiana
The Dementia Friends Indiana initiative is part of the Dementia Friendly America campaign to make communities more informed, safe and respectful for those living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and to reduce the social isolation it can cause. Part of a global movement that began in 2012 in the United Kingdom, the U.S. campaign is led by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a), of which CICOA is a member. The focus of the campaign is to foster dementia friendly communities and register dementia friends nationwide. To learn more or to become a dementia friend, visit dementiafriendsindiana.org.
About CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions
CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is a nonprofit organization providing the innovative answers, services and support you need to help you or a loved one remain at home in better health, with better care, at a lower cost. As a state-designated Area Agency on Aging serving Central Indiana, CICOA links people with information, support and services for older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers, including care management, home health care, home-delivered and neighborhood meals, transportation, home accessibility modifications, respite care and caregiver assistance. To learn more, visit cicoa.org.