High Country Caregiver Auction August 15

Story by Anna Oakes

For someone who is sick, injured or mentally ill, a caregiver is critically needed. Caregivers are people who take care of other adults—often parents or spouses—usually without pay for their services. They help with shopping, cooking, house cleaning, paying bills, administering medicine, going to the toilet, bathing and dressing, and they provide company and emotional support. It’s a stressful and physically and mentally taxing job.

The High Country Caregiver Foundation, created three years ago, works to provide caregivers with a much-needed break from their responsibilities. The nonprofit organization is housed under the umbrella of High Country Council of Governments and serves Watauga and Avery counties.

“We provide respite for people who take are of a sick or injured loved one and never get a break,” said Carol Schaffer, vice president of the foundation.

To do that, the Caregiver Foundation provides vouchers for home healthcare services to caregivers. Home healthcare providers can temporarily care for the sick or injured patient while the caregiver can spend a little time for her- or himself.

“We want to improve the quality of life for caregivers in our community. It’s a really tough, tough thing to do,” Schaffer said.

To help support the Caregiver Foundation’s mission, turn out for the organization’s largest fundraiser, a benefit auction, on Saturday, August 15, at the Lees-McRae College Evans Auditorium in Banner Elk. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and a silent auction, followed by the live auction at 7:00 p.m. Trevor Browning will serve as the evening’s auctioneer.

Admission to the auction is free, with dinner from Sledgehammer Charlie’s available for $10.

Items up for bid include artwork, shrubbery, vacation packages, golf outings, tennis and golf lessons, folk art, a rug, dinners at area restaurants, a zipline package, gift baskets, dental bleaching, spa certificates, handmade goods, ASU football tickets, autographed ASU footballs, Tweetsie tickets, acupuncture sessions, An Appalachian Summer and ASU Performing Arts Series tickets, home décor and furnishings and much more.

Diana and Sarvis Ridge will perform bluegrass music during the dinner and silent auction.

Last year, about 75 people attended the auction, and the foundation hopes that at least 100 will attend this year, said Brenda Reece. Reece is the family caregiver support specialist at High Country Council of Governments and the executive director of the Caregiver Foundation.

In the first year of its existence, the Caregiver Foundation received five requests for respite vouchers. It received 17 requests in its second year, and thus far in 2009, the foundation has already provided 29 vouchers, Reece said.

“We are getting about 10 [requests] a month now, which is $5,000 a month,” she said. “We’re going to have to be more selective.”

In addition to respite vouchers, the Caregiver Foundation provides educational and advocacy services for caregivers. The foundation also helps with Project Lifesaver, a program that provides wristbands for senior citizens who are prone to wandering off. If a senior wearing a wristband has gone missing, law enforcement can usually locate them within 20 minutes, Reece said.

For more information about the auction or the Caregiver Foundation, contact Reece at 828-265-5435 ext. 128 or breece@regiond.org.

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