A new program for caregivers and families of those suffering from Alzheimer's disease offers relief and assistance through a partnership with a home health company and a charity promoting awareness of the disease.

The Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Relief Grant program is working with Hilarity for Charity to help families of those suffering from this debilitating disease, said Billy Frost, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Statesboro.

Led by actor/comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, Laura, Hilarity for Charity raised nearly $1 million last year and just announced 130 families across the nation, including three in Georgia, would receive grants for in home care that would be delivered by Home Instead Senior Care franchises.

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, which includes several brain disorders resulting in the loss of intellectual and social skills that can interfere with day-to-day life. There is no cure.

About 60 percent of caregivers for Alzheimer's patients rate the stress of doing so as "high or very high," Frost said. "More than one-third report symptoms of depression."

The Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Relief Grant program is available to residents of the United States and Canada. Three Georgia families recently were selected for the program, but their identities are kept anonymous, he said. No one in the Bulloch County area has been accepted into the program - yet.

Frost said it's easy to apply, and applications are kept and reviewed quarterly for a year. There are no income qualifications, and citizens can apply again after a year.

Families of Alzheimer's patients can apply for assistance online at www.HelpForAlzheimersFamilies.com.

The program is "for families who need it and don't have funds for respite care." Many don't realize how exhausting it can be to care for a person with Alzheimer's disease, Frost said.

The assistance program is offered through a partnership between Hilarity for Charity and the Home Instead Senior Care company.

Hilarity for Charity asked Home Instead Senior Care to donate a number of hours of its choice to provide help with caring for their loved ones suffering from the disease. Frost said his business is participating by offering assistance for Bulloch County area families who may be approved for the program.

Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.