Brown wins nod for next Alzheimer’s Center

Executive Director Cathy Brown won a unanimous show of support for the Council on Aging initiative to bring expanded care options for Alzheimer’s patients to St Johns County, when the county commission recently agreed to the establishment of a temporary Alzheimer’s Center in a vacant building located next to the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.

The Council on Aging seeks to expand the comprehensive care options it currently makes available to county residents who are dealing with the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease whether as patients, caregivers or family members.

“The center in Ponte Vedra will be similar to our Alzheimer’s Center in St Augustine,” Brown told Historic City News. “Establishing a presence in north St Johns County would allow the Alzheimer’s Center an opportunity to become self-sustaining through private donations and a fee-for-service model.”

Services available from the Council on Aging include in-home care provided by certified professionals as well as a wide range of non-medical support.

No other use or need for the building has been identified by St Johns County in the near future. The Council on Aging will be allowed to utilize the building for up to five years at a nominal charge, and will be responsible for all operational costs and any expenses associated with renovating the building in order to bring it into compliance with applicable building and safety codes governing its use as an Alzheimer’s Center.

The Council on Aging has initiated fundraising efforts that will allow the project to move forward.