WISH TV spotlighted Dementia Friendly Dining at Amazing Joe’s. A link to the video is HERE.

Dementia Friendly dining at Amazing Joe’s featured in The Republic: http://www.therepublic.com/2019/12/02/forget_me_not_restaurant_introduces_dementiafriendly_dining/

Thrive Alliance, Dementia Friends of South Central Indiana and Amazing Joe’s team up to offer special hours and menu for those living with dementia

[Columbus, IN] (November 21, 2019) –

Thrive Alliance and Dementia Friends of South Central Indiana have worked with Amazing Joe’s restaurant in Columbus to offer special dementia friendly dining arrangements on Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. This initiative is the first in an ongoing, once-per-month offer at Amazing Joe’s. The second Sunday of each month will be set aside for dementia friendly dining, which will offer a special “Forget-Me-Not” menu of selected Amazing Joe’s dishes at normal pricing.

“We are pleased to offer this service to the members of our community who are living with dementia,” said Nick Grams, Managing Partner of Amazing Joe’s in Columbus. “This is one small way we can give something back to our loyal customers, including those who have supported us for many years.”

Sue Lamborn, Outreach and Community Relations Manager at Thrive Alliance, who oversees Dementia Friends of South Central Indiana, noted that Amazing Joe’s will be the first restaurant in Indiana to offer special dining hours under the Dementia Friends initiative.

“We are excited to have Amazing Joe’s take this important step in reaching out to those with dementia, their families and caregivers. They are truly to be commended for beginning what we hope will be a community-wide, and, eventually, a state-wide and nation-wide initiative,” Lamborn said.

Amazing Joe’s is located at 2607 Central Avenue in Columbus. Their phone number is 812.378.2130.

Article from The Republic: http://www.therepublic.com/2019/12/02/forget_me_not_restaurant_introduces_dementiafriendly_dining/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—November 22, 2019
CONTACT: Sue Lamborn, 812.372.6918, [email protected]

 Thrive Alliance Receives $1.2M for Crossroads Village Senior Housing Project in Seymour

Columbus – Thrive Alliance has received a $1.2 million allocation of low-income housing tax credits from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA). These funds will enable Thrive Alliance and partner Jonesboro Investments to move forward with construction of Crossroads Village, a $12.5 million, 64-unit affordable apartment complex at 500 South Poplar Street in Seymour, Indiana.

“We are extremely pleased to have IHCDA provide funding to make this project a reality,” said Mark Lindenlaub, Thrive Alliance Executive Director.  Lindenlaub lauded the cooperation of local officials in helping bring the project to fruition. “The involvement and support of Mayor Luedeman, the city council, and other community leaders has been invaluable in helping move this project forward,” he said.

In June, the Seymour City Council voted to provide tax abatement for the project and to invest $51,000 in local funding to install new sidewalks around the property.

The complex also benefits from a unique relationship with neighboring Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, which plans to provide on-site access to health screenings, health education and counseling services, nutrition education, dementia care and other services.  “We are excited to be working with the visionary staff at Schneck to create housing + services that encourages and supports healthy lifestyles.  This will benefit not only the residents living at Crossroads, but will also provide opportunities to connect with the residents in the surrounding neighborhood,” Lindenlaub added.

“We are pleased to partner with Thrive Alliance to help address the growing demand for housing in Seymour and Jackson County,” said Jacob Sipe, Executive Director of IHCDA. “Crossroads Village will also support the City of Seymour’s continued revitalization and redevelopment efforts while at the same time providing a new housing option for seniors.”

The project is slated for completion sometime in 2022.

Coverage in the Seymour Tribune: http://www.tribtown.com/2019/11/25/senior_housing_project_receives_funding/
and The Republic: http://www.therepublic.com/2019/11/26/affordable_housing_complex_moving_ahead_in_seymour/

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Guided by the vision that everyone has the opportunity to live a secure, engaged and independent life, our mission at Thrive Alliance is to improve the quality of life and health for people at risk of losing their independence.

We believe that everyone should be in control of their lives – to the best of their abilities – regardless of age. Quality of health is key to quality of life, and our health is greatly impacted by our behaviors and the environments where we live, work and play. Thrive Alliance supports healthy lifestyles, keeping people connected, and making our communities great places to live throughout all stages of life.

We help people get the right information, resources and support needed to live as independently as possible. Our network of programs focuses on issues related to affordable housing, caregiver support and services, nutrition and wellness programs, transportation and accessibility services, as well as fostering community-wide support for aging related issues. We serve as Indiana’s Agency on Aging for Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties.

Columbus – Thrive Alliance recently recognized 25 caregivers who were nominated for the agency’s annual Caregiver of the Year Award at a ceremony on November 5, in Columbus. Three finalist recipients received special recognition as chosen by a group of seven judges. The award recipients are:

• Unpaid Family Caregiver: Gary Goshorn, Columbus, Indiana
• Paid Family Caregiver: Karen Williams, Hope, employed as preferred caregiver through Structured Family Caregiving
• Paid Professional Caregiver: Ray Vaughn, North Vernon, employed by Our Hospice of South Central Indiana

Christina Rajanayakam, Family Caregiver Services Coordinator at Thrive Alliance, said: “The judges were greatly impressed by all of the nominated caregivers. The final selections were very difficult to make, given how many great stories were shared by those who nominated the candidates.”

“These award winners personify the heart, compassion, dedication and patience required to be a caregiver. They truly represent the best of caregiving, and we are proud as an organization to have this opportunity to recognize them,” Rajanayakam added.

Each recipient was nominated by a friend, family member or co-worker familiar with their experiences. Gary Goshorn was nominated for his many years of caring for his wife, Carole, who has dementia. His nomination stated, “Gary has been a faithful and loving husband. He makes sacrifices daily, perhaps hourly, to make sure Carole is well cared for.”

Karen Williams was nominated for the many years of caring for her twin sister, Sherry, who was born with Down Syndrome and now suffers from dementia. Her nomination noted that Karen has put her studies for a nursing career on hold for the last two years to care for her sister around the clock: “She bathes her, feeds her, puts her to bed, makes sure she has her to church, and administers her medicines to prevent seizures. Karen is truly a saint.”

Ray Vaughn’s nomination cited his dedication to those for whom he administers hospice care, stating, “Ray has served his community for so many years that members of the community now ask for him to be their nurse when they seek hospice care because they had friends or family members for whom he has provided care and they want the same exceptional care.”

Coverage from The Republic: http://www.therepublic.com/2019/11/10/thrive_alliance_awards_caregiver_of_year_honors/

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Thrive Alliance serves the residents of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, and Jennings counties.  Our services focus on helping older adults and individuals with disabilities remain safe and independent in their own home as long as possible. Our services also include providing safe and affordable housing for low income individuals and families.

Thrive Alliance announces it is now offering an online suite of information resources for Seniors, called Active Daily Living, offering FREE, one-stop shopping for information on managing daily activities, dealing with health issues, navigating the complex health system and so much more. Active Daily Living can be accessed by signing up at  thrive-alliance.dailylivingadvice.com/ or by clicking the link on the homepage at thrive-alliance.org/.

Thrive Alliance Offers Program for Grandparents and Relatives Raising Children

Thrive Alliance is offering an information session, “Do Grandparents and Relatives Raising Children have Legal Rights….Come find out,” presented by attorney, Jeffrey C. Rocker. The session is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 10:00 a.m. to Noon at The Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, 950 N. O’Brien Street, in Seymour.

Activities for school-aged Children will be offered. Light refreshments will be provided. This is a free event and open to anyone in the community impacted by and interested in this topic.

RSVP by Noon on October 25 by calling 812-372-6918 or by e-mailing
[email protected]

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Thrive Alliance serves the residents of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, and Jennings counties.  Our services focus on helping older adults and individuals with disabilities remain safe and independent in their own home as long as possible. Our services also include providing safe and affordable housing for low income individuals and families.