Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners met for its second meeting of the month at the county courthouse in Mayo on Tuesday, March 25. At the meeting, commissioners were presented with information about the importance of Alzheimer's disease care.
Donna Lee, Program Manager with the Alzheimer's Association, presented the board with information on Alzheimer's and the efforts being made to educate the local community. Lee said that the organization has two vans sporting the association's hotline and website. Both vans are in Florida and are the only two in the nation dedicated to Alzheimer's disease education.
"The point is, we can come to you," Lee said. "I live in Gilchrist County, so I know what it's like when resources stop at the county line.
Lee, a former emergency responder and fire chief, shared that her passion for being part of the Alzheimer's Association is because she likes to take care of people. She also mentioned that the association was aware of at least 200 people in Lafayette County who suffer from some form of Alzheimer's disease. "Did you know that 10.5 percent of the people who live in Lafayette County over 65 live with dementia? It's not a big number, but 10.5 percent is a big enough number to pay attention to,” she said.
She also noted that most people living with someone who may have dementia should ask themselves, "Are they ready?"—to which the majority respond, "No." Lee emphasized that her role is to help people prepare for the significant challenges of caring for a loved one with the disease.
"We start conversations, we become a catalyst for action, and we have a bias for action to get families ready," Lee said.
Lee wants to offer in-service training to county employees to help educate them on the benefits the county provides and what their insurance covers should they encounter a situation such as Alzheimer's disease. She also provided the commissioners with the phone number of the Alzheimer's Association hotline. Lee mentioned that every time someone calls the number, they will be connected to another human being and not a machine. "Normally, you get options before you talk to a human," Lee said. "You know what you get when you call the Alzheimer's Association, 24/7, 365 days a year? 'Alzheimer's Association, how can I help you?' Live human beings."
She said that the operators are skillfully trained and can handle all crisis calls related to Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Following Lee's presentation, the board moved forward with the relocation of Southeast W.W. Hill Road, tabled a discussion on the special assessment guidelines for 2024-25, and heard from Todd Gray with Gray Construction Services on the possibilities of using a design-build contract for the design and construction of future county projects.
The next meeting of the Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners will be held on Tuesday, April 8, at 9 a.m. at the county courthouse, located at 120 W Main St., in Mayo.
Riverbend News photo by Jason Futch, March 25, 2025 Donna Lee with the Alzheimer’s Association speaks before the Lafayette County Board of County Commissioners in Mayo.