FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ — ABC15 is following up with Linda Rode, a dementia and caregiver advocate who lives in Fountain Hills.
Just a few weeks ago, Linda, along with Fountain Hills Councilmember Peggy McMahon, helped coordinate the third annual Dementia Friendly Fountain Hills Summit.
In September, Linda lost her husband Paul, who had been living with Lewy body dementia (LBD).
Before Paul was moved into full-time memory care, Linda was his primary caretaker and recently opened up to ABC15's Nick Ciletti about what that journey was like and the need for more qualified caregivers across Arizona.
Groups like Home Assist Health, which Nick spoke with in 2024, estimate that Arizona will need 190,000 more home care workers by the year 2030, just to keep up with growing demands.
Linda knows this all too well - and from different vantage points, first as her husband's full-time caretaker, as in the first few years of living with LBD, then as he was moved into full-time memory care as his condition progressed.
"They are amazing," explains Linda. "Every day, all day long, they are faced with instability and confusion and uncertainty of the person they are working with and they just rise to the occasion, so we need more caregivers."
Linda is also a volunteer with the nonprofit organization, Duet: Partners in Health & Aging, where she is a facilitator for their Finding Meaning and Hope discussion series, which helps guide people through the journey of being a caretaker.
Also, Duet is out with a new program to train volunteers on how to prevent homelessness among seniors. The goal is to help older adults or adults with disabilities who cannot manage their finances and maintain a stable living situation. The training will start in the coming weeks. To learn more, click here.
