Spring 2026 Newsletter
STEP In Caregiver Support Events
An update from Tia Drumm, Caregiver Programs Coordinator
No matter the season, there is always something to do with LifeStream! Find and register for events on LifeStream’s Event Calendar at: lifestreaminc.org/calendar
Caregiver Gatherings (Support Groups): A Caregiver Gathering, or Support Group, is for the caregiver only. This is a space for caregivers to connect with one another and gather information and resources. These groups are open to ANY caregiver caring for ANY individual. These groups meet regularly in Muncie, Richmond, Winchester, and Liberty. Other community organizations host support groups in Anderson and Marion.
Memory Café: Memory Cafés are a welcoming and safe place for people with dementia and their caregivers to enjoy activities, socialization, and some even provide lunch! Memory Café’s are for individual living with dementia AND their care partner to come to together; no hands on care will be performed during these events. Join us at a Memory Café in Muncie or Richmond!
Hands-On Caregiver Training: This will be held in Muncie on April 21st from 11A-1PM at Ball State University Health Professions Building, located at 1615 W. Riverside Ave, Muncie. This will have demonstrations by trained professionals and senior-
level BSU Nursing students showing at home care for a loved one. This will include demonstrations such as Dementia Live, how to safely transfer, or respectfully bathe your loved one, stages of Alzheimer’s Dementia, communication and redirection techniques, and more! Look on LifeStream’s event page for more information.
Senior Cafes and Meal Sites: LifeStream has 17 senior community cafés throughout 12 counties in Indiana. Lunch is provided on a donation basis (suggested donation of $2.50) to those who are 60 years of age and over and their spouse. Meals are provided to those below the age of 60 for a small fee of $6.50. Reservations to eat lunch at a café must be made at least one business day in advance by calling the site you plan to attend or call 800-589-1121. You can find a list of all meal sites on LifeStream’s website here: https://lifestreaminc.org/nutrition/
Libraries can be a great place to find events close to home! Most libraries have programming through the day for adults, teens, and children, and partner with LifeStream to offer our Caregiver Kits and other resources..
Learn more about these and other resources at: lifestreaminc.org/stepin
Financial Wellness
By McKenna Spearing, Public Health Intern
As many of you wait to see the seeds you planted grow into flowers, this is also a great time to plant seeds for financial wellness! Financial wellness is about how well you manage your money in a way that lowers stress, meets your needs, and helps you reach long-term goals. Research shows there is a strong link between healthy aging and the ability to understand and use basic money skills. Because of this, it is important to make smart and safe decisions about your health care and your loved one’s health services and information.
Overall, financial wellness includes understanding financial literacy, creating a budget for the future (including longterm care), avoiding financial exploitation, and practicing financial self-care.
Importance of Financial Literacy
Financial literacy is the ability to understand and manage money while supporting both your needs and your loved one’s needs. This includes knowing how to budget, track expenses, and plan for future health-related costs. Financial literacy helps improve your overall financial wellbeing.
There are four important things to remember when managing your finances:
1. Track expenses.
2. Stay aware of bills.
3. Understand needs and treatment options.
4. Make informed decisions.
Budgeting
Budgeting means managing and tracking your expenses and bills. It is important to track your spending because you never know when a medical emergency may happen. Unexpected costs may include home modifications, wheelchairs or walkers, oxygen tanks, transportation, a home nurse, or even moving to a long-term care facility.
Long-term care includes ongoing services and support for people who cannot perform daily activities due to chronic illness, disability, or memory problems. This may mean hiring a full-time home nurse or placing a loved one in a nursing facility. Both options can be expensive but may be necessary.
There are helpful resources in many communities, including Medicare and Medicaid programs. It is also important to have legal documents in place, such as a Power of Attorney and a living will, to make sure your loved one’s wishes are followed.
Key areas to include in your budget are income, medical costs, daily living expenses, and an emergency fund.
Financial Exploitation
Financial exploitation is the illegal or unauthorized use of someone else’s money. Studies show that 1 in 5 older Americans have experienced financial abuse, with an average loss of about $120,000.
There are warning signs of scams. Scammers may pretend to be from a well-known organization. They may say there is a problem or a prize. They often pressure you to act quickly. They may also tell you to pay in a specific way, such as with gift cards or wire transfers.
Common scams that target older adults include phone scams, internet scams, Medicare scams, romance scams, and fake charity scams.
To protect yourself:
• Block unknown calls and text messages.
• Never share personal or financial information with someone who contacts you unexpectedly.
• Pause and talk to someone you trust before making a decision.
Taking time to stop, think, and check for red flags can help protect you from fraud.
Financial Self-Care
Financial self-care means making simple, informed choices to manage your money, reduce stress, and build long-term stability. To practice financial self-care:
• Know your spending habits.
• Create and follow a budget.
• Set long-term financial goals.
Just like personal self-care, there will be ups and downs. The more you take control of your financial wellness, the stronger and more confident you will feel over time.
ABC Community Care Coach Program
An update from Kellie
Magoon, Care Coach
The ABC Community Care Coach Program is designed to support caregivers who are caring for a loved one that has a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairments. In this program caregivers meet with one of LifeStream’s Care Coaches to evaluate how they are coping with stressors related to their loved one’s dementia through an initial assessment. The Care Coach and caregiver review an assessment tool together to determine the caregiver’s greatest areas of stress. After determining the main sources of stress for the caregiver, the Care Coach develops a personalized coaching plan for the caregiver with the goal of reducing stress. For example, the Care Coach may provide local support group resources if the caregiver is feeling alone while caregiving. Or the Care Coach may provide education and tips on providing personal care for someone with dementia, if the caregiver is feeling stressed about providing personal care to their loved one.
Goals
Caregivers are assessed regularly with the goal of bringing their assessment score into the “green zone”- which is a low stress level on the assessment tool. The collaborative approach of the Care Coach program provides space for caregivers to highlight their personalized strengths and build on those strengths with education and guidance from a trained Care Coach. This person-centered approach helps caregivers implement evidence-based coping strategies to manage their loved one’s cognitive, functional, behavioral, and psychological disabilities without becoming burned out.
Testimonial
One caregiver stated that they would go home crying each night after taking care of their parent with dementia. Our Care Coach was able to help this caregiver pinpoint the problem and provide education on it. The caregiver stated “I was able to change how I was handling the situation and it’s allowed me and my [parent] to get even closer, and I am no longer coming home crying. It’s helping our relationship so much.”
Eligibility
To be eligible for the ABC Community Care Coach program:
• The caregiver or person living with dementia is at least 60 years of age.
• The person living with dementia has a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis or Alzheimer’s Disease, related dementias, or mild cognitive impairment due to another diagnosis.
• The person lives in the community (including assisted living), either alone or with their informal caregiver.
• The caregiver resides in the LifeStream coverage area.
If you are interested in learning more about the ABC Community Care Coach program, please call LifeStream Services.
Dementia Friendly Business
An update from Kelly Smith, Dementia Outreach Specialist
Dementia Friendly Business Training helps businesses create welcoming, supportive environments for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. As dementia becomes more common in communities, everyday spaces like stores, banks, and restaurants play an important role in preserving dignity and independence. This training equips employees with practical strategies to recognize cognitive challenges, communicate clearly, and respond with patience and understanding during everyday interactions.
The training benefits both businesses and the communities they serve. Employees gain confidence and stronger communication skills, reducing misunderstandings and improving overall customer service. Dementiaaware businesses build trust and loyalty with customers and families while contributing to more inclusive, compassionate communities. By investing in dementia-friendly practices, businesses support a growing population and help ensure public spaces remain accessible, respectful, and welcoming for all.
Testimonial: Beth Lang & Kim Klein - Union County Health Department
“After completing Dementia Friends and Dementia Live training, the Union County Health Department wanted to take the next step toward becoming a Dementia Friendly Organization. Union County has a significant population of older adults, many of whom visit the health department for a variety of reasons. We felt it was important to build on our previous trainings with LifeStream and modify our building to become more dementia-friendly. The tips for communicating effectively, enhancing our environment, and navigating urgent situations have given us a solid base to make changes to our space that promote the inclusion and safety of our patrons. Hopefully, our next step will be obtaining our Dementia Friendly Level II Certification.“
PARTNER HIGHLIGHT : ADDISON PLACE
By Christina Davidson, Dementia Outreach Specialist
Addison Place is a vibrant Assisted Living community located in New Castle that has partnered with LifeStream for the past two years to host Dementia Friends sessions, Dementia Live simulations, Memory Screenings, and more! Addison Place wants not only their residents to feel loved and supported; these learning opportunities are not only offered to the residents and their families, but also to the general public.
Lisa Miller, Director of Sales and Marketing at Addison Place, shares the following about her commitment to building dementia friendly communities:
“The reason that I wanted to start a dementia education group here at Addison Place was when my brotherin-law was diagnosed with ALZ in his early 60’s and watching him decline, and seeing the stress it caused my sister as she was his primary caregiver 24/7. With my job here at the Addison Place, I speak to families daily that are going through challenging time in their lives.
I see how exhausted and overwhelmed they are with trying to manage a full-time job and spending time with their children and grandchildren to take care of their loved ones. In some cases, it’s the spouse and they have no one to help them, not aware of help, not fully understanding what is happening with their loved one, or maybe they’re not wanting to admit there is something wrong and they try to hide it and they both become isolated. Once they come to me, they’re looking for help and guidance on how to mange this and make it work.
Coming to our education group, it offers a safe space where they can speak honestly without judgement and take in information about their love one. This group doesn’t solve every problem they are facing but it strengthens them so they can continue showing love, patience, competence, and compassion towards the one they are caring for.
Dementia Education classes are hosted the first Thursday of every month starting at 5:30pm. Please contact Lisa Miller 765-591-5877 or Christy Davidson at 765-759-1121 ext:298 for more information.
1701 Pilgrim Blvd.
Yorktown, IN 47396
lifestreaminc.org
(800) 589-1121 | lifestreaminc.org | facebook.com/lifestreamservices
Register Now!
Hands-on Educational Event for Family Care Partners or Caregivers
LifeStream Services and Ball State’s School of Nursing have partnered to provide an educational event for family care partners or caregivers to learn hands-on care tips from Ball State nursing students! This event will feature 6 different stations ranging from different aspects of hands-on care to an immersive station that allows a caregiver to experience life with mild cognitive or sensory impairment.
This event is sponsored by LifeStream at no cost to caregivers, and light refreshments will be provided.
Tuesday, April 21 11 a.m.– 1 p.m.
Ball State University 4th Floor, Health Professions Building 1615 W. Riverside Ave. Muncie, IN
This is a limited capacity event. Please register at lifestreaminc.org/handsoncg by Wednesday, April 15.