ACA’s annual Walk will be virtual, the first week in November. To learn more about Move for your Memories visit our website www.alzca.org and click on the Walking to Remember icon to review the details – including how to get your free Team Leader t-shirts (order by Monday, August 24). Or go directly to www.alzca.org/walk-team-registration
First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa will host an online conference via Zoom, “Living With Dementia: Help and Hope”, Saturday, August 22, 9:00 a.m. – noon CT. Two panel discussions will be live. Keynote speakers are pre-recorded and will be available for participants to watch on their own schedule. Attendance is free, but advanced registration is required. To register, go to www.fpctusc.org/dementia. See attached.
Marvelous Monday Arts Collaborative, sponsored by Founders Place at Home, Zoom series in August “starring” musician Henry Scott and storyteller Elizabeth Vander Kamp, August 24, 4-5 pm CT. To join, please send an email to Susanna Whitsett swhitsett@saint-lukes.com.
Appy Hour! Wednesday, August 26 at 10 am CT. Join the interactive chat via zoom about helpful online resources and apps for caregivers. bhuey@ucphuntsville.org
AFA Webinar “Management of Behavioral Symptoms in Persons with Dementia” with Dr. James M Ellison, Wednesday, August 26, noon to 1:00 p.m. CDT.
https://alzfdn.org/event/webinar-management-behavioral-symptoms-persons-dementia/
Virtual Caregiver Summit and Caregiver Resource Fair, Thursday, August 27, 9 – 11 am CT. Presented by the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. Speakers include Dr. Danny Potts.
205-554-2000, ext 3144 or kristen.hill4@va.gov
Managing Dementia Care in the Time of COVID-19 with Teepa Snow, free via Zoom conference presented by Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod, Saturday, August 29, 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM CST. COVID-19 has not diminished the needs of families dealing with dementia diseases, it has increased them. Staying safe during a pandemic is challenging enough for most of us; keeping someone with cognitive loss safe adds a whole other layer of difficulty to the mix. The challenges Alzheimer’s families are facing is unprecedented, and requires an unprecedented response. To register for the free conference, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/john-levin-memorial-virtual-free-alzheimers-conference-with-teepa-snow-tickets-109989355122.
M4A is offering free online training the first and third Wednesday of each month, from 10:00 am – 11:30. CEU’s offered. For more info: https://mailchi.mp/eea68af4b62f/scehhrgant-7873502?e=029e09a760
September 2: Medicare Coverage and Social Security
September 16: Documents and Property Arrangements to Prepare for Death & Disability
Visit AFA’s Facebook page to take part in fun online programs. Enjoy art, music and movement. Programs can be viewed at any time during or after the event.
Zoom Support Groups available online:
- ACA’s Coffee Talk with Miller & Vance, Tuesday, August 26, 11 – noon CT. Call (205) 871-7970 or mpiggott@alzca.org. Join us on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88250086658
- CJFS CARES, Mondays at 1:30 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
- Founders Place at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Tuesday’s at 10 am, contact Susan Logan, susanlogan65@gmail.com
- Lakeside Hospice, 1st Tuesday of each month, 2:00 pm, contact Bit Thomaston, bthomaston@lakesidehospice.org
- West Alabama Area Agency on Aging, Caregiver Support Group, Tuesdays, contact Nikki Poe, nikki.poe@westal.org.
- Lakeside Hospice, 2nd Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm, contact Bit Thomaston, bthomaston@lakesidehospice.org
- CJFS CARES, Thursdays, 7:30 pm, contact Pam Leonard, pam@cjfsbham.org.
Alzheimer’s News:
Dementia is often accompanied by feelings of apathy, but the only way to truly understand the behaviors of someone living with dementia is to focus and sleuth into their minds: Why is this person behaving this way? What are they trying to tell us? Is the environment too noisy? Are they sleeping well? Apathy can present as irritability, acting out with sometimes verbal abuse, anger, angry outbursts. During the pandemic, these feelings of apathy may be connected to the distress that comes with isolation, a change of routine, and other stressors associated with the coronavirus. Being Patientoffers recommendations to help caregivers and people living with dementia mitigate some of the stress of this time.
Six out of 10 people living with dementia will wander and become lost. ACA works with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department to provide Project Lifesaver bracelets that emit a radio tracking signal that can help locate someone who has wandered. Most Sheriff’s departments in the state participate in the program. This Being Patient article contain helpful advice for curbing wandering.
Approximately 2,000 teens wrote essays about how Alzheimer’s has impacted their life, and what they’ve done to help those with the disease for AFA’s Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest. Learn more about the winners and read their essays: https://alzfdn.org/young-leaders-of-afa/scholarship-contest/
Need more incentive to keep your weight down? A large new analysis confirms that carrying excess weight increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia down the road. In a 15 year study of 6,500 men and women, those who were overweight were 27 percent more likely to develop dementia. Those who were obese were 31 percent more likely to develop dementia.
People with inflammatory bowel disease are up to six times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those without the condition, according to a new report. And those with the gut condition start to show symptoms, on average, seven years earlier than their peers without it. The findings raise interesting issues about the relationship between the gut and the brain, as well as the role of inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
As a caregiver, you can do many things to make your home a safer place for your love one. While some Alzheimer’s behaviors can be managed medically, many, such as wandering and agitation, cannot. It is more effective to change the person’s surroundings—for example, to remove dangerous items—than to try to change behaviors. Changing the home environment can give the person more freedom to move around independently and safely. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/home-safety-and-alzheimers-disease
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be difficult, but accurate information and support can help you know what to expect and what to do next. The NIA has a checklist to help you understand where to start after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Click here: what to do next after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Katie Manderson, a fourth-year pharmacy student at McWhorter School of Pharmacy, is surveying caregivers of people with Alzhiemers or other dementia about the healthcare they are receiving. The survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete. It is completely voluntary, no identifying information will be collected and responses are anonymous. This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Samford University. Click the link to take the survey: