Statements

Mission

The MISSION STATEMENT of Sam's Caregiver Alliance Group is to commit to preserving the mental and physical wellness of Caregivers which will provide a pathway for effective and efficient care for their loved one. Sam's Caregiver Alliance Group provides information through quarterly meetings/seminars about the various programs that offer respite in the state of Tennessee and provides a safe space without judgement to discuss the many issues that comes with being a Caregiver. Each Caregiver is given the opportunity to communicate how they are feeling, living and coping with all the responsibilities of being a caregiver and what to do when anxiety, grief and depression sets into everyday life. Most importantly our organization will have a voucher system called the Kindness with Care initiative that provides funds for medical expenses, personal expenses and therapy sessions to help with Caregiver responsibilities.

Background

Sam's Caregiver Alliance Group was birthed out of woman's personal commitment to serve her Loved One, Community and City and to bring forth information about resources offered to Caregivers that are not adequately publicized and fill a niche on the demographic of Caregivers that desperately need assistance with the financial responsibilities of caring for a loved one. Providing resources for Caregivers eliminates the uncertainty of knowing they are doing everything possible to care for their loved one and provides relief from the anxieties, grief and depression better known has "Caregiver Syndrome" that comes along with the role as Caregiver. Today Caregiving is viewed largely as a burden in this country. If it was viewed as a societal expectation and people were willing to offer more support, fewer Caregivers would suffer in isolation. Expanding the Caregiver support system, providing sources for help with tasks and educating Caregivers about Mental Health can significantly decrease the occurrence of Caregiver stress related issues. The opportunity to promote self-expression through Caregiving provides forums of education, unity and awareness makes for a community that can grow and flourish and expand individuals out of the confines of their own limitations.

Impact

Sam's Caregiver Alliance Group has successfully conducted two support group meetings in which 25 attended the first meeting and 15 people attended the second meeting. Three people are now participants of the respite reimbursement programs mentioned in the meeting and one person scheduled sessions with a Mental Health professional/therapist that was a presenter at one of the meetings. There has been a total of $3100 awarded in respite reimbursements funds to our participants as of July 2023. Through word of mouth and networking we have been getting rave reviews about how the meetings are conducted and the information provided.

Needs

A caregiver, also called an informal caregiver-is an unpaid individual involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. In 2022, unpaid caregivers provided an estimated 18 billion hours of care valued at $339.5 billion. In 2023, the total lifetime cost of care for someone with dementia was estimated at $392,874 in 2022 dollars. Seventy percent of the lifetime cost of care is borne by family caregivers in the forms of unpaid caregiving and out-of-pocket expenses for items ranging from medications to food for the person with the illness. Sam's Caregiver Alliance Group will work hard to provide additional funds for caregiver responsibilities and much needed expenses. (1)We need funding for the voucher program which provides a $100 one-time payment for medical expenses, personal expenses and therapy sessions for a caregiver and their loved one . We would like to disburse up to 200 vouchers per year at a cost of $20,000. (2)We need volunteers to play games and provide companionship to residents at nursing facilities. (3)We need a part-time administrative employee for marketing, updating event calendar and Newsletter, etc. at a cost of $6,000 per year. (4)We need funding for Operational expenses at a cost of $7000 per year.

CEO Statement

As a caregiver for my mother who has Dementia I often find myself anxious, depressed, lonely, scared and stressed. Starting this organization gave me the satisfaction of knowing that I am providing a service that will help someone from feeling overwhelmed with negative emotions but have a feeling sense of purpose and not regret. Caregiving is a gift that should not be limited to what a caregiver does not have. To help a caregiver feel purposeful, our duty as a community is to insure families are in the position to care for a loved one without the stresses of providing the best care possible and to relieve some of the everyday responsibilities of the caregiver. Sams Caregiver Alliance Group has stepped in to provide caregiver support group meetings, voucher programs, social events to help stimulate the minds of a loved one with mental illness and volunteer opportunities that will help sustain this major transition of life.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Mental Health & Crisis Intervention  - Alliances & Advocacy
Secondary Category:	-
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

TN - Davidson