Alzheimer's Society wants more funding

By Miller Reynolds

BELLEVILLE, ON (24/09/2012)Executive Director Laura Hare (left) & Fund Development Coordinator Ashley Matheson (right) hold The Alzheimer's Society flag infront of the Belleville-Hastings-Quinte office. By Miller Reynolds

The Alzheimer’s Society of Belleville-Hastings-Quinte (BHQ) is frustrated by having to spend too much time holding fundraisers, instead of working on programs and services.

Laura Hare, executive director for The Alzheimer’s Society of BHQ, said she has been losing sleep over the pressure of fundraising.

“I used to wake up at two in the morning, with my stomach flip-flopping because it really worried me,” said Hare.

“What if something goes wrong? What if The Walk for Memories fails? What if nobody buys any Krispy Kreme donuts?  If we don’t bring that money in, we can’t pay our folks, we can’t provide the programs and services,” she said

Hare said this year’s Walk for Memories is crucial for the survival of the society.

“If it tanked we would be in deep doo-doo,”

The society continues to pay the majority of their expenses by holding fundraising events like the annual Walk for Memories, and Coffee Break.

However, one bump in the road they have encountered is the level of funding they receive from the government.
The South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) is in charge of distributing government funds to various health organizations throughout the Quinte area depending on their individual financial needs. The Alzheimer’s Society of BHQ is currently receiving just 25 per cent ($84,230) of its overall budget ($353,525) from the LHIN.

Michael Alexander, spokesman for the South East LHIN, said there is a specific process dedicated to ensuring organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Society of BHQ are receiving an adequate amount of government funding.

“The funding they receive is really based on a needs assessment, to determine the level of funding that they require in order to best serve the patients in their community,” he said.
Hare said more government funding would allow them to shift their efforts from organizing fundraisers, to focusing more on providing programs and services, and reaching more people.

“It would be like a relief valve on the pressure of fundraising,” she said.
With more than a quarter of a million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in Canada, the demand for caregiver support and educational programs are increasing.

Kristel Nicholas, education and support coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Society of BHQ, said more people need to start getting involved.

“Much more needs to happen in this area, everyone knows someone who has Alzheimer’s disease, and everyone needs to start learning about it,”

Mrs. P, (not her real name) a caregiver in the Belleville area whose husband is living with dementia, said she thinks the society, and caregivers like herself, could really benefit from additional government funding.

“If you’re better funded then you can better meet the needs of your direct clients,” she said.

Families and friends of people living with dementia are affected in many ways.

“It creates a real sense of loss in the family’s life if they’re not able to deal with the person that’s ill, because they’re not the same, you’re sort of losing them inch-by-inch,” she said.

“It’s painful.”

Even after a successful year of fundraisers in 2011-2012, raising over $200,000, in addition to the $84,000 of government funding, the Alzheimer’s society of BHQ ended up being $2,090 in debt.