The WI DNR acknowledges

BY JASON SCHULTE BALDWIN BULLETIN

Established last year, the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving was created with the some of the responsibilities in mind:

• Supporting families providing

care for their loved ones through respite services and other supports. • Assessing compensation and fringe benefi ts for caregivers including ways to make healthcare affordable for the caregiving workforce. • Developing a plan to implement recruitment and retention programs to expand the pool or providers. State Senator Patty Schachtner, who sits on the Task Force with Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm invited area caregivers to a private roundtable discussion Feb. 26 at Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin. The caregivers told stories of misery, despair and gloom.

Baldwin native Jamie Bark, whose wife has progressive Multiple Sclerosis and an 11-year-old daughter with Muscular Dystrophy.

“I would love respite to be an option, but that role can’t be fi lled,” he said between his wife and daughter’s needs. The health strains have taken a toll on them fi nancially and him physically. For example, his daughter needs to be turned and adjusted as many as 14 times per night.

“Self-care is so important,” he said, noting, he’s had to change his diet, he’s seen a counselor and he started running.

Furthermore, he stated, “I’ve given myself permission to be vulnerable, to

JASON SCHULTE | BALDWIN BULLETIN Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm (left) has the attention of everyone during the roundtable discussion Feb. 26 including State Sen. Patty Schachtner (right) at Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin.

be exposed; ask for help when we need it.”

Laura Neve, ADRC Director for Northwestern Wisconsin, explained she lost her mother to dementia in 2011 and felt responsibility for taking care of her, even though she lived over an hour away and was a single mother herself.

“I was the only girl and my father was getting frustrated with my mom who had no control,” Neve explained.

“As a caregiver, you hold a lot of things in,” she continued.

Judy Abel, who has a medical background, has been a caregiver for her husband, a former FFA teacher, for the last nine years due to his health issues. In addition, she’s also taken on responsibilities for her daughter, who was diagnosed with anxiety and fatigue. “I have fi nally given myself permission to grieve,” she said.

Stan Hensley, who also grew up in Baldwin, explained he lost both his parents to Alzheimer’s 15 years ago and during those struggles, lost their family farm.

“I haven’t seen that much change since then,” Hensley said, on why he is still in this crusade.

Wanda Rimestad shared her story of being a caregiver for her husband Marty. Marty was a family physician in Amery for over 30 years before being diagnosed in 2014 with PSP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy), a combination of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“There’s no cure,” Wanda continued. A caregiver comes twice a week, to give Wanda a break, but she is still the primary caregiver.

“We are blessed to live in a community that’s so caring and helpful,” Wanda said as she also taught in the Amery School District.

Wanda said the big goal for their family, including Marty and the caregiver, is to be in person as their youngest child graduates from UW-Madison in May.

Jan Reynolds worked in Senior Care for years until she had to retire to take care of her husband who was diagnosed with Dementia.

“It doesn’t prepare you,” she said. She explained it reached a point that he couldn’t be left alone until he was placed in a Care Unit October.

“You start to lose yourself in the process as you are focusing on your loved ones,” she said. “Guilt settles in.” Added Tara Murdzek, caregiver support coordinator for the St. Croix County ADRC: “It breaks my heart to see caregivers go through this…Selfcare isn’t selfi sh.” Murdzek added there are resources out there for caregivers, but people don’t identify themselves as one.

Other common themes that arose from the discussion include Eau Claire and Dunn County losing caregivers and respite care opportunities because reimbursement is so low compared to Minnesota; the shortage of volunteers as many of those are retiring; and liability insurance.

COVID-19: Area District Administrators keep families informed of precautions

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March 10, so recommended cleaning can take place ensuring the safety of students and staff.”

The School District of Amery released a statement Tuesday morning that said,

“There has been a confi rmed case of the coronavirus with a resident of Pierce county. This individual attended an event at Osceola High School this past Saturday. There were Amery students, family members and staff at this event.

The Wisconsin Department of Health and the Polk County Health Department have been in contact will all area schools regarding this event. They have given the following direction:

“Students or staff who participated in the Destination Imagination Osceola event are considered to be at low-risk for being exposed to the coronavirus. The recommendation is for those who were in attendance at this event to self-monitor for fever and respiratory illness symptoms and to self-isolate if symptoms appear. Please contact your local healthcare provider if symptoms appear. There is no recommendation to keep your children home if they were not at this event and have no symptoms of illness.

“We have no reason to believe that a member of our student population, any member of their families or an Amery staff member has the coronavirus. Amery schools will remain open unless we receive guidance from state of Wisconsin or Polk County health offi cials to close school.

The School District of Amery will continue to coordinate with public health authorities to ensure that our actions align with best practices to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

“The State of Wisconsin and Polk County have further offered that the following measures are precautionary: Maintain good health hygiene practices including frequent hand washing

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on a frequent basis

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

• Stay home if sick • Stay away from people who have the fl u or a virus

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

The precautions which the School District of Amery are taking include the following:

• Preparing to increase hand sanitizer stations in common areas at all school buildings

• Educating our students and staff about the best preventative methods of personal hygiene

• Stressing improved custodial cleaning methods in order to prevent the spread of disease

• Providing staff with supplies to help create a cleaner learning environment It is vital to use reliable sources for information about the coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control has provided information about and continuous updates on this virus at the following link: https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html The Wisconsin Department of Health also provides updates: https://www. dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19. htm”.