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jenny and delores

Jenny and Delores

Mom’s Wednesdays at Agrace Are Jenny’s Days of Self-compassion

Delores was living in Indiana when short-term memory loss made it unsafe for her to drive—or live by herself. Leaving her home, church and friends behind, she moved to Madison in 2020 to live with her daughter Jenny Solomon, a now-retired teacher.

“That first year, it was messy. We were deep into the pandemic,” Jenny remembers. “We tried the senior center, but she said there were ‘old people’ there!”

While living together benefitted them both, Delores needed the company of people her age and activities to fend off boredom. And Jenny needed time for herself. The answer came from Jenny’s daughter, who knew about the Agrace Adult Day Center in Madison.

jenny

Jenny

‘This is my day to breathe’

For about a year, Delores has attended the Adult Day Center each Wednesday. “Coming here helps us have a schedule,” Jenny explains. “It helps me to not worry about her for a little bit.”

“She’ll say, ‘I’m just doing it for you, so you can have a day.’ I can go home and do nothing, or sit in the sun or go to the store. I might go to Target today—by myself! This is my day of self-compassion, my day to breathe, and then I’m ready for the rest of the week.”

“I know she likes it here,” Jenny continues. “Last week, I was here to pick her up and she came to the window and gave me the ‘more time’ signal. They were playing charades! Later she said, ‘That’s the most fun I’ve had here.’ Another day the piano player didn’t come, so my mom played the piano, and they sang along. Then she played the piano at home, too.”

Then there’s the lasagna

grass and butterfly illustration

What else does Delores like about the Day Center? “Thinking that she’s the ‘brightest bulb in the basket’ —and the lasagna,” Jenny laughs. “She’s just so happy someone’s prepared something for her. After 60 years of feeding my dad, she’s tired of cooking. And I’m happy when I see her happy.”

If you know a family who could benefit from the Center, please encourage them to visit Agrace.org/AdultDayCenter or call (608) 327-7303.

Learn More

 

agrace adult day center men coloring togetherAdult Day Center Is State Certified

The Agrace Adult Day Center has been certified by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ Division of Quality Assurance. We have begun to establish contracts with community organizations with the hope of being able to accept more funding sources in the near future. That’s good news for prospective clients who must rely on sources other than private-pay to attend the Center.

 

Upcoming Events

agrace giving dayJoin in Agrace’s Annual, Giving Day, March 29

When a loved one is aging, seriously ill or dying, where can you turn for help? Agrace is here with expert care and support every step of the way—thanks to generous donors.

The 2nd annual Agrace Giving Day on Wednesday, March 29, is a 24-hour giving challenge to sustain care, support, hope and healing. Funds raised will help Agrace’s staff continue to provide quality supportive care, hospice care and grief support—including for those who cannot pay for services they need.

On March 29, visit Agrace.org/GivingDay to give and see the impact of your gift. Check in all day long for updates and progress toward our $30,000 goal. If you’re on the fence, know that a gift on March 29 will go even further with the Agrace Giving Day match!

About Giving Day

April 13: Young Adult Grief Support Group, Fitchburg

A monthly gathering for adults aged 18 to 30 who are grieving a death. Meets the second Thursday of each month, April 13 – December 14, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Agrace Grief Support Center. The $15/session fee can be lowered or waived.

Learn more here or call us to register: (608) 327-7110


race for agrace logoJune 4: Race for Agrace, Madison

Register today for the 2023 Race for Agrace, a family-friendly one-mile walk or 5K run. It starts Sunday, June 4, at our Madison campus and ends with live music and food at the finish line. Walk or run with us in person or virtually—anytime, anywhere. Entry fee is just $10 through May 3! We are asking that each participant raise $100 to receive a race t-shirt. Race proceeds support programs offered through the Agrace Grief Support Center.

Register Today

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June 8: A Round with Agrace, Wisconsin Dells

The 8th annual A Round with Agrace golf outing is happening on June 8. Welcome in summer on the greens while supporting Agrace’s care in the Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells area. See all available sponsorship packages and registration details by clicking the button below.

Register Today
 

Why I Signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge

Lynne Sexten photo

Lynne Sexten, President &. CEO

“Belonging” is one of Agrace’s three shared values—a highly visible sign that we prioritize diversity and inclusion. To affirm our commitment, I recently signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge. It was a very easy decision.

More than 2,000 CEOs nationwide have come together under a collaboration called CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion to lead workplaces where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. Specifically, I pledged to:

  • cultivate a workplace that supports having complex, difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion;
  • expand unconscious-bias education;
  • share both the best—and unsuccessful—actions to help other companies evolve their diversity strategies; and
  • create strategic plans to prioritize and drive accountability around diversity and inclusion.

Agrace’s staff and the communities we serve are already feeling the impact of our commitment. I’m proud to lead an organization that will hold itself accountable for prioritizing diversity and inclusion in all we do.

butterflies

Lynne Sexten
President & CEO


To learn more, visit CEOAction.com and Agrace.org/Diversity.

 

The parents to-be, Ajay and Kara, celebrate with Agrace Hospice Care patient Carol Dorn. Left: Carol’s new great-grandson, Leland.

The parents to-be, Ajay and Kara, celebrate with Agrace Hospice Care patient Carol Dorn. Left: Carol’s new great-grandson, Leland.

Agrace Helps Carol Shower her Love on Expectant Parents

Carol Dorn, an Agrace Hospice Care patient, had not left the care center where she lives for several years. But that was not going to stop her from celebrating the upcoming arrival of a new great-grandchild—in person.

Carol’s husband, Herb, visits her almost every day at Edgerton Care Center. However, transportation and health concerns hindered her ability to leave the care center in the last few years. Then came the news that a new great-grandchild was expected!

Naturally, when baby shower planning began, Carol’s family wanted her to join the celebration, says her daughter-in-law, Ronda Dorn. Ronda asked Carol’s Agrace team if they could help, knowing the party would not be the same without Carol. So social worker Raquel and RN case manager Lynn got right to work!

Personalized Care

“They provided transportation to and from the baby shower, ” Ronda explains, “and her CNA made sure Mom was cleaned up and ready to go when the transport came to get her.” Many of Carol’s children and grandchildren joined in the festivities to celebrate the parents-to-be, and also to share precious time with Carol—who even won one of the party games!

yellow butterflyAgrace, a Family Tradition

Ronda knew the family could count on Agrace’s care. “I was fortunate to have Agrace’s help with my father 19 years ago. If I was scared or had a question, they were always available to put me at ease, so there was no question who we would call to help my mother-in-law,” she says. “She is getting such great care. We get updates about how she is doing, and that is a great feeling.”

 

red kitePlanned Gifts Are Sustaining Gifts

2023 is Agrace’s 45th year! Today’s Agrace supporters may have chosen Agrace’s care for multiple generations of their family and want it to be here for future generations as well.

When you include Agrace in your will or trust, or direct a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA to Agrace, it’s a sustaining gift that creates tax advantages for yourself and/or your heirs. To learn more, contact your financial advisor or Agrace Foundation Director John Hromyak at (608) 327-7139.

About Planned Giving
 

veteran AJ Feucht

AJ Feucht, Vet-to-Vet volunteer

Vet-to-Vet Volunteer Bridges the Gap of Understanding

After a 35-year career in loan services and 30 years with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, AJ Feucht had grand plans for retirement. But like many other plans, AJ says his “changed slightly—for the better.”   

Early in 2022, AJ chose to volunteer at Agrace because of our Vet-to-Vet volunteer program. “I truly believe volunteering is a calling for me to support my fellow veterans at a time when it is most needed,” he explains. “I have spent some time at the bedside of a few veterans and found it a great service to assist family members in understanding what their loved one went through as a veteran. Every veteran’s story is different, and some family members don’t understand. I try to bridge that gap.”

If you are retiring this year or just looking to find purpose, consider volunteering with Agrace. Visit Agrace.org/Volunteer or call (608) 327-7163 to learn more.

About Agrace Volunteering
 

supportive care illustration - agrace staff member sitting with patient on couch looking at medication Cardiac Care Adds New Insight to Supportive Care Visits

For people with heart failure, the effort of even basic daily tasks like showering and dressing can drain their energy and spirit. Agrace can help them struggle less with their symptoms—and enjoy life more.

Agrace’s new Advanced Cardiac Care program is an extra layer of specialized education originally intended for hospice patients. But we’re starting to see the benefits for Supportive Care patients as well. Agrace Supportive Care can tap the expertise of our cardiac nurse specialist, Karen Nissen-Boryczka, on behalf of any adult patient with heart disease who needs insight on what may lie ahead as their illness progresses.

Denita Ward, director of Agrace Supportive Care, explains, “Our nurse practitioners are collaborating with Karen on evidence-based, American Heart Association-recommended care. Karen may review a patient’s medical chart to see what treatment options would align with current AHA guidelines and recommendations. Then we can review options with the patient and their primary care provider.”

Karen says Supportive Care visits combined with Advanced Cardiac Care can help patients with heart disease who are trying to stay out of the hospital and need better ways to manage symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue and edema (fluid buildup).

“Agrace Supportive Care sees patients in their homes,” Denita adds. “We can be the eyes and ears for their doctor or other health care provider who does not have the advantage of seeing the struggles inside the home.”

supportive care illustration - agrace staff member sitting with patient going over paperworkWhy Have Agrace Supportive Care + Advanced Cardiac Care?

  1. To explore better ways to manage heart disease symptoms so you can more easily do the things you want to do each day
  2. For education that helps you make informed decisions about adjusting, starting or stopping a medication
  3. To make a plan so if you feel cardiac symptoms coming on, you know what to do to get them back under control—which helps avoid unwanted hospitalizations or emergency room visits
  4. To learn what to expect as your disease progresses, so you can make decisions before an emergency arises
  5. To create advance directives so your wishes for future health care are known and can be followed

“It always feels like it’s too early—until it’s too late,” Denita notes. “If you have heart failure of any type, get on a supportive care program. Even if you don’t need it often in the beginning, you’ll learn what your disease progression is going to look like.”

To learn more, use the button below, or call our Enrollment Team at (800) 930-2770.

Learn how Supportive Care Can Help You

 

 

help texts text message graphic

help texts logo

A Free, Private Source of Grief Support

Would you like to receive grief support by text message? Agrace now offers thoughtful, customized text messages from a service called Help Texts. It’s a secure, private service for grieving adults and teens. You can sign up even if you are also receiving grief support individually or in a group.

You can start and stop at any time, and it’s free to you for 13 months after you enroll. You can learn more or register with the button below.

Help Texts
 

care tips pageCare Tips for Families

Are you caring for a loved one who is living with a serious illness? Much of what Agrace teaches our patients’ families about caregiving is also available to you online, for reference. Click below to see tips about caregiving and advice on managing common symptoms people face during advanced illnesses or at the end of life.

Care Tips for Families

brickwalk and butterfly memorials

Personalized Bricks and Butterflies Honor Your Loved Ones, Support Agrace

blue kite illustrationWhen you purchase an engraved brick for Agrace’s Memorial Brick Walk in Madison or a personalized butterfly for the Butterfly Memorial in Janesville, it’s more than a donation to support Agrace’s care. It’s a tribute in honor or in memory of someone special to you.

To be added to these memorials in Summer 2023, you must order butterflies by May 9 and bricks by June 2. Use the buttons below to learn more.

Janesville Butterfly Memorial Madison Brick Walk