Tulsa Merry Maids Give Alzheimer Caregivers A Break

There are 74,000 people in Oklahoma living with Alzheimer's, and many thousands more who are living with and caring for them.

Because the care giving is an everyday all day long task, the caregivers need all the help they can get. Merry Maids of Tulsa has a gift of thanks especially for them.

Liz Wise from Merry Maids of Tulsa is cleaning Ann Smother's kitchen. Ann and Ken Smother have been married 55 years, he was 21 she was 18.

A few years ago Ken was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Since then, her time commitment as his caregiver has become a fulltime thing.

"They came and gave me three free cleanings," Ann said.

The Alzheimer's Association told her that Merry Maids of Tulsa was offering the free service to Alzheimer's caregivers.

"Two of them came and spent two hours," she said.

Merry Maids has been providing the service for about three months. Amy Bates owns Merry Maids here. Her father died a year ago after suffering with Alzheimer's himself.

"It was the one way we could give back," Bates said.

She says there is a huge gap in resources and the disease can be so financially taxing on families.

"There are 74,000 people in Oklahoma who are living with the disease, so if we can help just a few of those families get through those times. We're going to do what we can," Bates said.

Ann Smother says she was overwhelmed and didn't know it. The disease is increasingly more time consuming.

"It takes your every waking moment. It's the nature of the beast," she said.

For caregivers to qualify for the free cleanings, they must apply through the Alzheimer's Association.