During the holiday season, members of A Friends Place created a Freedom Tree to honor veterans living in the Bonham area. The tree was adorned with the wishes of those veterans. A Friends Place owner Alex Nameth said A Friends Place members and their families, along with several community agencies, donated socks, baseball caps and treats. Members of A Friends Place also donated hand-sewn pillows sewn by a local sorority and quilting club. “Many of these veterans have no extended families, so the holidays can be a very difficult time of year,” he said. “The opportunity to shake the hand of each of these brave men and women and give them a small token of our appreciation for their service from A Friends Place was beyond words.” A Friends Place is an adult day service provider that specializes in daytime care and programs for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-loss conditions. Its services and programs support the efforts of caregivers who care for loved ones at home, something owners Alex and Barbara Nameth wanted to ensure when they opened A Friends Place in September 2010. Alex, whose father had dementia, struggled to meet his father’s needs an ultimately placed him in an assisted-care facility. After his father died, Alex wanted to do something in his honor that would assist those caring for someone with memory loss. Since its opening, the center has consistently served more than 30 individuals a day and has served more than 300 individuals through its programs, with new members touring the facility on a daily basis. A Friends Place also offers programs for those newly diagnosed with dementia or with slight memory difficulty. Those programs include mind-strengthening activities, memory tips and strategies, a book club, art appreciation class and a Spanish language class. Support groups are also offered and led by Alex and staff registered nurse Ginger Bain.
3300 Eldorado Parkway, Ste. 500 972-569-9000 www.friendsplaceads.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-6 p.m.