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Client Stories

“I guess I didn’t realize how much ‘being’ and not ’doing’ was involved in caregiving.  Slowing down to a loved one’s pace takes a lot of effort.  This class (Savvy) helped me to better put myself in my husband’s place and to realize that his likes and requirements are much different than they used to be.” E. S., caregiver to husband with Huntington’s.

“I felt so comfortable and cared for from the first day of class.  Thank you so much!” C.A., caregiver to husband with dementia.

Case Management

"I have seen Deb Beringer twice for private counseling. She maintains her calm there as well as in the classroom, and I always leave feeling much better."
- Dianne K.
"After leaving my first session, I felt relief and was very thankful to learn about this program."
- Caregiver

Professional

"The CAREgivers by Active Generations proposal to expand and improve their caregiver outreach efforts in the state of South Dakota is a powerful initiative to help reduce the stress and difficulty experienced by the caregivers in our state."
SDSU Extension
"The Alzheimer’s Association South Dakota Chapter strongly supports CAREgivers by Active Generations’ proposal to expand and improve their CAREgivers Outreach program in the state of South Dakota. This program not only helps caregivers identify themselves as such, it also expands outreach through the employment of a caregiver case manager and implementation of the Stress Busting program."
The Alzheimer’s Association
What an amazing evidence based program for family caregivers as well as professional caregivers. My profession is managing a team to be able to care for residents with dementia/Alzheimer’s. In the few years in this profession I have probably spent half of my time counseling families, as well as taking care of their loved ones. It is a true passion to be able to facilitate a class that helps the caregiver be successful and to establish a plan for the present and future of the Alzheimer’s disease. As I went through this class witnessing family caregivers go from going through the motions to now having a plan in place and having validation from other people that it is ok to take care of themselves, was eye opening, and at the same time felt so wonderful to see joy and hope in their eyes again. One caregiver that took care of his wife in the home had strong feeling at the beginning of the class that it was his job to take care of his wife, and by the end of the program he was selling his home and moving closer to his daughter to prepare for what the future has in store for them as a couple. He was so thankful for the opportunity this class has giving him, he stated “this class saved my life.” He didn’t realize that it was ok to ask for help and most importantly he realized if he wasn’t taking care of himself he was not going to be able to continue to take care of the love of his life.
- Jackie Clark, Memory Care Manager
Edgewood Vista

Stress Busting

"I learned to look at my mother as MY MOTHER and not as a patient, which is how I was coping before."
- Caregiver
"One of the benefits of these classes includes better coping skills through learning about and applying those skills to life. I didn’t understand that dementia affects different parts of the brain at different times. I also was ignorant that the disease caused Mom to do certain things. That understanding helped me be more patient and loving."
- Caregiver