Dementia Care Education and Support

GEM Respite Services, Inc.

PO Box 3601, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

His Dream Center, 205 Baltic St. Nags Head

"Celebrating Life Every Day"

PH: 252.480.3354 * Fax: 480.0359

"GEM Delivers with Love and Expertise Dementia Care Education and Support"

GEM is a community based non-profit serving the needs of older adults and
their families. We specialize in providing restorative dementia care. We
also provide care for people who are at risk if left alone and all that
would benefit from socialization with peers.

These are four of the programs we provide for our community:

*The GEM Center located in Nags Head, provides 20 hours of therapeutic
respite a week. Benefiting both the person with dementia and their family.

*Outer Banks Caregivers Education and Support Group - provides programs of
interest to caregiver's. Meets the second Thursday at 11am a His Dream
Center.

*Dementia Education - We have developed "Caring Effectively" & "ALZ 101"
providing an overall view of dementia and strategies for providing the "Best
Care" for people with dementia. We are available to provide this class to
individuals, students, agencies and family caregivers.

*GEM offers a "Therapeutic Work Environment" for Dare Counties disabled and
at risk students. We have partnered with the schools to assist students in
the transition from school to work for over 4 years. We are now working with
"Teen Court" and "Project Rebound."

GEM is the "Missing Link" in the chain of care for a person with dementia
and their families.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease and a person can live 4-20
years with the disease. Supports for people in the mid-stage of the disease
are few because at this time the care is considered "Custodial" meaning NOT
requiring medical care or more precisely not eligible for financial support
from insurance. This "donut hole" in our healthcare system leaves the 5
million caregivers in the USA without support.

We at GEM address the human spirit that exists in people despite disability,
recognizing that being clean and fed does not come close to providing the
quality of life we all desire. Laughter, friendships, and something to look
forward to each day is what we provide at GEM as we "Celebrate Life Every
Day."

Gail E. Sonnesso, MS

Gail received her graduate degree in Rehabilitation Studies from East
Carolina University in 1997. She is the founder and executive director of
GEM Respite Care. The program has been providing day time care for older
adults since 2001.

Alzheimer's education

   

GEM Education & Advocacy Home About GEM Support GEM Volunteer Caregiver Support Upcoming Events Education & Advocacy   Contact Gail Sonnesso at (252) 480-3354to request additional information regarding dementia care training   Education and advocacy are fundamental elements of GEM's mission. In addition to providing a high level of hands-on service, GEM is actively involved in teaching innovative forms of dementia care. At present, the National Institute on Aging estimates that over five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. These older adults have specialized cognitive, physical and emotional needs. Few caregivers,paid or unpaid, have the specialized training needed to optimally care for those with dementia. Unfortunately, most hands-on care providers report that they learn about dementia care "on the job" or through "trial and error." GEM provides specific dementia education that allows these care providers to perform their jobs in a more competent and nurturing manner. At the end of the GEM dementia care training, care providers are able to: Identify persons who exhibit symptoms of dementia. Use strategies for successful communication. Understand safety risks. Understand concerns of the family. Understand appropriate levels of care. Link persons with dementia to needed social and medical services. Provide the "Best Day" for older adults with dementia and their caregivers. Training involves 30 intensive hours of dementia-specific training over five days. Training is facilitated by Gail Sonnesso, MS, Director of GEM. Currently, the Eastern Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association in cooperation with the NC Nurses Association and the Nursing Home Association offers continuing education units (CEUs) to those who successfully complete the GEM course.

Just Playn Dixieland at the Baum Center on Friday the 13th.

Just Playn Dixieland at the Baum Center on Friday the 13th.

Our fantastic Dixieland band (well I think we are fantastic) will be playing at the Baum Center at 7pm this coming Friday the 13th.  We are performing for the Gem Day Care Center "Harmony Cafe" which is a fundraiser for Gem.  Admission is only 5 bucks per person which gets you coffee and great deserts AND you get to listen to Just Playn Dixieland!

 

73,

 

Bob, KG7SB

This Vand makes a difference

JUST PLAYN DIXIELAND

Gary Clark is a retiree who has always loved Dixieland music. He is well
known for his volunteer work for the Dare County schools band programs where
he recruits students for Dixieland bands such as the Dixie Do Daz and All
That Jazz. Gary and his wife, Barbara, have had a dream of forming a
Dixieland band here on the Outer Banks. About 1 year ago, Gary founded the
band called Just Playn Dixieland. Members of the group changed over time.
Now, however, the band has settled in and the members are enjoying playing a
genre of music that is not heard often. The band plays many of the classic
Dixieland songs such as: Basin Street Blues, Down by the River Side, St
James Infirmary, Bill Bailey, and other foot tapping songs. Recently, the
band has been working on improvised Dixieland music. This is a type of
Dixieland music where a melody is loosely played and each instrument takes a
turn playing an improvised solo based on the melody.

The members of the band are:

Gary Clark, trombone

Barbara Clark, banjo

Bob Fielder, tuba

Rosie Fielder, keyboard

Mei Mei Cook, clarinet

Ali Jones, trombone

Dock Sawyer, trumpet

Paul Lesiewicz, saxophone

Chris Jolly, drums

Just Playn Dixieland has performed at the Manteo Dare Days, the Coffee House
in Manteo, the Gem Day Services/Nags Head Lions club"Harmony Café", and the
Kitty Hawk Pig Stein. Their first monthly performance at Kelly's Restaurant
is Sunday, Feb 8 at 6pm. On Friday, Feb. 13, they will play again at the Gem
Day Services/Nags Head Lions club Harmony Café at 7pm at the Baum Center.

As Gary says "If we had any more fun, it would probably be illegal!"

Fw: Our Dixieland band at Kellys

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Bob Fielder

To: Dave Hope ; Tom White ; Tim Moore ; Thomas Franchi ; Stephen Kelly ; Skipp Tullen (K2PXQ) ; Ron Seidman ; Robert De Freitas ; Ricky Boncek ; Perry White ; Paul Cornett ; Paul Binder ; Mike Glover ; Mary Ellen Hawthorne ; Ma-Thein Turlington ; Lewis Hudgins ; Ken K3IWE ; Keith Engelmeier ; Jake George ; Jack & Sally Meagher ; Howard Reid ; Hal Denny ; Glenn Yarbrough ; Gary Clark ; Everett Geiger ; Duke Owens ; Duane Turberville ; Doug Wendling ; Doris Bailey ; Don Small ; Dick Hood ; Dempsey Bruton ; Con Weltman ; Clarence Skinner ; Chuck Gerhold ; Cathy Morris ; Carl Hacker ; Bob May ; Bob Korb ; Bob Hannan ; Bill Harden ; Angelo Sonnesso ; Andrew Darling ; Allen Waters ; Jim Bailey ; Rosie Fielder

Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 4:37 PM

Subject: Our Dixieland band at Kellys

This coming Sunday (Feb.8) at 6pm, our band Just Playn Dixieland will be performing at Kelly's restaurant.  The First Flight Middle school Dixieland band will play a few tunes for your enjoyment also.  Hope you can attend.  By the way, our band has 3 ham radio operators in the band.

 

73,

 

Bob, KG7SB

What is the difference between a non-profit and a for-profit?

What is the difference between a non-profit and a for-profit?

Gail Sonnesso Jan 16, 2009

"The word "nonprofit" refers to a type of Corporation-- one which is
organized under rules that forbid the distribution of profits to owners."Profit"
in this context is a relatively technical accounting term, related to but
not identical with the notion of a surplus of revenues over expenditures" If
there is any "surplus" this in put back into to the non-profit and not
dispersed to the company employees."* However, nonprofit corporations have
to be financially successful, if they are to fulfill commitments to
providing services to the community.

GEM Adult Day Services is a registered 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) charitable
corporation. Donations to 501 c 3 corporations have the highest tax benefits
allowed under federal law. As such, GEM is required to send out a gift
acknowledgement or tax letter with our federal tax ID and acknowledging
particulars of each gift received. Nonprofit corporations are accountable to
the public and must now file annual Form 990 reports with the IRS.

GEM is governed by a Board of Directors that employs staff to deliver
quality services to those with dementia. Yes, GEM does charge for the
services it provides. Excellent dementia care requires a staff with a high
degree of training and expertise. GEM provides those services to our
families at a fee much lower than what the actual cost is to provide the
service. This is possible because of our generous Outer Banks Community,
donations and access to grants.

Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations can, and do, operate in all other
particulars like any other sort of business. They have bank accounts; own
productive assets of all kinds; receive income from sales and other forms of
activity, including donations and grants if they are successful at finding
that sort of support; make and hold passive investments; employ staff; enter
into contracts of all sorts; etc. *

GEM provides care for people with dementia and this is considered by our
current healthcare system as "Custodial Care" and is not recognized as a
"Covered Health Care Need." In our current medical system if one doesn't
need on-going medical services there is NO financial support for either
families or GEM for providing this care!

Nursing homes, assisted living centers, companies providing in-home may be,
"For Profit" organizations that allow the distribution of profits to owners
and shareholders at the full discretion of the owners. For Profit
corporations operate under IRS guidelines as a business and file annual tax
statements.

Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code lists several circumstances under
which corporations [or unincorporated nonprofits!] are exempt from these
taxes. Section 501(c)(3) -- the famous one -- describes [nonprofit!] (1)
Serving charitable, religious, scientific or educational purposes (2) no
part of the income of which "inures to the benefit of" anyone. *

There are some specialized tax rules and accounting practices that apply to
nonprofit organizations. If they are of a certain size, they are required to
disclose many details of their operations to the general public and to state
regulators and watchdog agencies using IRS form 990. This form shows any
salaries paid to officers or directors [for incorporated nonprofits!] and to
the five highest-paid employees and contracts if any receive over $150,000
in the tax year. The form also requires the organization to divide its
expenses into "functional categories" -- program, administration and
fund-raising -- and report the totals for each along with the amounts
expended on each program activity.* The 990 reports are public documents and
can be located at the IRS website and by going to www.guidestar.org.

Basic Overview of Nonprofit Organizations *The underlined sections of this
article were written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting,
LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.
Adapted from the Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision.

press release

GEM Adult Day Services, Inc.

PO Box 3601, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

His Dream Center, 205 Baltic St, Nags Head

“Celebrating Life Every Day”_____________________   _ PH: 252.480.3354 * Fax: 480.0359

January 7, 2008

 

For Community Calendar

Contact Gail Sonnesso

480-3354 or cell 207-2083

Date: Friday Jan 9^th, 2009

Location His Dream Center in Nags Head

 

“GEM Respite at 205 E Baltic Street in Nags Head invites you to Harmony Café on Friday, January 9^th from 7-9pm benefiting the GEM Center and the Nags Head Lions Club.  Entertainment includes noted local vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Kim Kalman.  Delicious desserts, coffee from Southern Bean, and live entertainment all for just $5.00 a ticket!  For more information call Gail at 252-480-3354.”

 

Sincerely,

 

_______________________________________________

Gail E. Sonnesso MS, director

*Please note our new mailing address

 

www.gemdayservices.org