Legacy Village at Plantation Manor’s Alzheimer’s Support Group Renamed

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (February 8, 2016) – Legacy Village at Plantation Manor’s (LVPM) Alzheimer’s Support Group has been renamed in honor of longtime employee, Betty Sawyer. Sawyer worked as The Director of Social Services at Plantation Manor from February, 2002 to November, 2015. The group is now called, Sawyer Support Group.

“Betty started the support group over 12 years ago and has been its champion ever since,” Sanford Giemza, Legacy Village at Plantation Manor’s Administrator stated. Sawyer’s husband suffered from Dementia, and through this painful experience arose the passion in Sawyer to start a support group. “I wanted to do something special in honor of my husband,” Sawyer explained. She started to inquire about such a group in 2002 and successfully started it in January of 2003. “It took a while to get some momentum going. The group started with only two people. I had to start bribing people with lunch so they would come,” Sawyer explained.

The support group has grown to 85 people and is now the largest Alzheimer’s support group of its kind in Georgia. Sawyer shared, “I have found that a big part of our success has been personal contact. I can run an article in the newspaper every month, but calling people and having a relationship with them is what really got people involved.”

Sawyer retired from working at LVPM in November of 2015 and Judy Bauer became the new group facilitator. When Sawyer asked Bauer if she would be the new facilitator, Bauer told her, “I will only do this if you promise to remain involved.” Sawyer could not help but to stay involved in this support group. “I think renaming the support group in her honor is a great way to show honor to all the hard work and dedication she had done. She has invested so much time and effort into this,” Giemza said.

Although Sawyer retired, she is still involved in the Support Group and has also taken on the new role as LVPM’s Community Ambassador. “After I retired, they asked me to come back to be the Community Ambassador. I help represent LVPM by speaking at local clubs and churches,” she said.

The support group meets the last Monday of the month at 11:00 p.m., with the exception of December, due to the Holidays. “Everyone is welcome to come! We usually have a guest speaker join us, sometimes we have “sharing time” where people will tell their own personal stories, and once a year we have a luncheon with great music and a special speaker. It’s always such a good time,” Sawyer explained.

About Legacy Village at Plantation Manor

Situated on a beautiful tree-lined street at 220 Park Ave., Legacy Village at Plantation Manor is a personal care home in Thomasville, Ga., that offers assisted living type services and Alzheimer’s care services in a safe, attentive, homelike atmosphere. The facility, which is a short drive from Valdosta, Ga., and Tallahassee and Bradfordville, Fla., is committed to serving the greatest generation with honor, respect, faith and integrity. More information is available at legacythomasville.net or by calling (229) 227-0880.

Legacy Village at Plantation Manor is part of a family of senior living communities throughout the Southeast owned and/or operated by Legacy Senior Services, LLC, of Cleveland, Tenn. The parent company specializes in offering independent living, assisted living, and Alzheimer’s care services. It was founded in 2002 by Barry Ray and Bryan Cook, senior living industry veterans. More information is available at legacyss.com.