r wave respite
R Wave Respite
Join Us!
Next Meeting: Monday, August 10th
Mondays 10:00AM - 2:00 PM
Family Life Center Scout/Youth/R Wave room on the 2nd floor by the picnic shelter, Aldersgate United Methodist Church 1320 Umstead Rd., Durham, NC
R Wave Respite is an outreach ministry of Aldersgate United Methodist Church (AUMC) serving both our own congregation and the surrounding community. When we launch in winter 2026, we will offer respite care to care partners of mild to moderate dementia-afflicted individuals. The respite allows the care partner to meet appointments, have lunch with friends, shop, or just take a nap. Respite also provides the friend with dementia a break from the care partner.
R Wave Respite is based off the model that was championed by First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, Alabana in 2012 by Bishop Lawson Bryan and Daphne Johnston. As of this writing, RFA has 64 locations in about 19 states. There are four in North Carolina, with R Wave being the fifth.
Upcoming RWave Events
- Saturday, August 29, 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00 | R Wave Room
- Care partners participate with their loved one. Everyone welcomed. Go to RWaveRespite.org, and click on the yellow button to register.
- Monday, September 21, 2026 |11:00 - 12:30’ish | Wesley Room
- Duke HomeCare and Hospice will be presenting a seminar about non-profit vs for profit hospice care, what services Duke Hospice provides, eligibility for hospice, Medicare benefits of hospice, and grief counseling. This event is open to everyone. Go to RWaveRespite.org, click on the red button to register.
We have reached out to 18 local churches about R Wave being a community ministry. Thanks for your continued support of this important ministry at AUMC.
Please click the button below for more information and to read recent testimonies from participants.
What is a typical day at R Wave?
10:00 - Welcome, arrival, coffee/snacks, table games
10:45 - Group cognitive games
11:15 - Exercises
11:30 - Crafts/Community projects
11:55 - Lunch
12:30 - Movement/Story telling
1:00 - Cognitive games - chair yoga, etc.
1:35 - Music/dance/karaoke
2:00 - Pickup
Who can participate in R Wave?
Participants must have been diagnosed with mild or moderate dementias.
Our friends must be:
- Ambulatory - Wheel chairs/walkers are fine, but participant must be able to move to chairs. Armed chairs will be provided.
- Must be able to be socially engaged with the group. All friends are encouraged to participate in the activities, but not required.
- Must have self sufficiency in toileting. Staff/volunteers can’t assist.
- Must be able to independently eat. Volunteers may assist cutting to bite size, but not feed.
- Volunteers, nor staff, are allowed to administer medications. They can remind a friend when it is time to take medication, but not offer assistance.
Who are our Care Partners?
EMAIL USCare Partners are welcomed to briefly stay at R Wave after drop off to have a coffee and snack and socialize. Then they are free to begin their respite. Go for a hike on the Eno, go to a doctor’s appointment, go meet friends for lunch, go home take a nap…..it’s your time……enjoy.
As an additional benefit for Care Partners, R Wave will begin a support group, called R Wave Support Group….Wow, how innovative! We will begin by having the support group meet from 10:30 - 11:30, at AUMC, twice per month, while the friends are participating in R Wave festivities. Click below to request information about the support group.
How do I volunteer?
VOLUNTEERWithout volunteers this ministry would not be possible. What does it take to be a volunteer?
- 4-5 hours to volunteer on one or more Mondays each month
- Socially engaging
- Enjoy people
- Enjoy dancing
- Enjoy music
- Enjoy games
- Patient
What do volunteers receive?
- Purpose
- Social engagement
- Break out of routine
- Satisfaction in making the difference in a persons life
- Just having fun, laughing, dancing, singing, playing games
Click below to access the volunteer application.
How do I enroll a loved one?
Enrollment FormsR Wave Enrollment Process:
- Inquiry e-mail to Program Director at RWaveRespite@Aldersgate.org
- Attend full R Wave event, participant and care partner (free/scheduled)
- Complete enrollment forms & copies of photo ID, insurance
Note about Medical Form: R Wave must have a completed medical form on file before your loved one attends alone. It is NOT required for a doctor to complete before attending, but it IS required that you, the care partner, complete to the best of your knowledge. We ask that you then take a hard copy of the form to your loved one’s next regularly scheduled primary care provider (PCP) and obtain the doctor’s signature on. Then the Care Partner needs to give the signed copy to R Wave.
How do you keep vulnerable adults safe in your programs?
SAFETY POLICYAldersgate adheres to a robust Safer Sanctuaries policy. We take the safety of vulnerable adults very seriously. Click the link below to download a PDF of our policies.
