Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Support Group Meeting, Tuesday, November 12, 11:00 – 12:30. 300 Office Park Drive, Suite, 225. For a complete list of support groups visit www.alzca.org.
Statewide Day of Prayer and Remembrance, Sunday, November 10.
Homewood Cumberland Presbyterian Church will host the Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel for Sunday school and worship on Sunday, November 10, in honor of the Day of Prayer. Perhaps we can best learn about Alzheimer’s from someone living with the diagnosis. Click to read Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel’s essay, “A Green Pentecost: On Pastoring with Alzheimer’s,”
https://collegevilleinstitute.org/bearings/a-green-pentecost-on-pastoring-with-alzheimers/
UAB Psychosocial Spiritual Grand Rounds, presented by the Department of Pastoral Care, Monday November 12, noon – 1, Margaret Cameron Spain Auditorium. The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel will present to us from the depths of her own experience of living with Alzheimer’s Disease. She served in parish ministry for 15 years prior to her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Cynthia is a fierce Alzheimer’s advocate.
Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Annual Meeting and Candle Lighting Service, Thursday, November 14, Vestavia Hill Library, 6 – 7:30. Daniel C. Potts, MD, FAAN, will explore lessons he learned through his care partnership with his late father, Lester that transformed his life and medical practice. A Tuscaloosa neurologist and former ACA board member, Dr. Potts practices neurology at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center. Along with his wife, Ellen W. Potts, MBA, he authored A Pocket Guide for the Alzheimer’s Caregiver. Join us to hear, “Souls Shine Forth: Sharing the Light Of Personhood Through Relationships In Dementia Care”.
St. Martin’s Annual Pancake Breakfast benefiting Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, Friday, November 15, 8 – 9:30, cost is $5. Silent auction from 8 – 10:30 am. The Arbors Apartments, 4949 Montevallo Road.
Virtual Dementia Tour, November 15, 9 – 2. Cooper Green Mercy Health Services, 1515 6th Avenue South. Sponsored by the Jefferson County Community Services & Workforce Development Senior Services Division. Call Dedra Lewis, 205-325-5567.
Crimson Community Café, at UPerk in Tuscaloosa, Saturday, November 16, 10 – 11:30. Bring your loved one with dementia for refreshment, music and fellowship. Email crimsoncummunitycafe@gmail.org
Living Well with Dementia, workshop with Dr. Al Power who wrote Dementia Beyond Drugs and Dementia Beyond Disease, Tuesday, November 19, at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 9 – noon. Contact Valerie Boyd at (205) 874-1523 or valerie.boyd@canternuryumc.org.
One Enchanted Day for Caregivers, a free event for unpaid family caregivers, Saturday, November 21, Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, 11:30 – 2. www.westalabamaaging.org/oneenchantedday
Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Support Group Reunion and Pot Luck Luncheon, Tuesday, December 10, 11:30 – 1. Join us for fun and reindeer games! mpiggott@alzca.org.
News to know:
In an October 31, 2019 NPR All Things Considered radio segment, Jon Hamilton spoke with Laura Lewis of Boston University about the link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s been known for a long time that sleep is really important for brain health, but why it is was more mysterious… we discovered that during sleep, there are these really large, slow waves occurring maybe once every 20 seconds of CSF [cerebrospinal fluid] washing into the brain. Before each wave of fluid, we would actually see a wave of electrical activity in the neurons… It’s already known that people with Alzheimer’s disease have less of these electrophysiological slow waves, so they have smaller and fewer slow waves.”
A November 4, 2019 The New York Times article spotlighted a particular member of the extended Medellin family which researchers have been studying for years because they carry a familial genetic mutation (Presenilin 1) causing hereditary, early-onset dementia. She has an extremely rare mutation of her APOE gene (Christchurch mutation) and experienced no cognitive decline until her 70’s, even though her brain was wracked with amyloid plaques. Since the woman had huge amounts of amyloid but few other Alzheimer’s indicators, “it actually illustrates a very clear dissociation of amyloid accumulation from tau pathology, neurodegeneration and even cognitive decline,” he [Dr. Yadong Huang of Gladstone Institutes] said.” Also covered by Science Magazine, Science Alert, and others.
A November 4, 2019 UsAgainstAlzheimer’s press release addressed news out of China that the drug Oligomannate, for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, will be available in China this year. This is the first new drug targeting AD to be approved since 2003. “The tide on Alzheimer’s drug therapies seems to be turning after years of setback and disappointment
A November 4, 2019 STAT article featured a video depicting Kamaria Moore-Hollis’ life caregiving for her mom, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As a young caregiver, she didn’t find the support she needed at local groups. According to the article, “”This is a destabilizing disease for all communities, but has acute challenges for millennials and particularly millennials of color”.
Sign-up for Well Spouse Association’s “Understanding Patient Rights Regarding Discharge and Aftercare” webinar. Learn how to understand your rights and options as a patient or caregiver when being discharged from the hospital. Understand how to navigate the health care system, take proactive steps in planning, and make informed choices about future health care. Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 7pm.
Join Help For Alzheimer’s Families live chat, “Family Dynamics in Caregiving: How to Improve Communication & Make Decisions Together,” with the A-LIST’s own Terry Frangiosa. Frangiosa, a research investigator and former caregiver, will discuss family dynamics in caregiving including hiring in-home care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, potential sibling challenges, improved communication and decision-making. November 19, 2019 at noon. A-LIST is an initiative of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.
Loving Through Dementia is a wonderful new website from Due West United Methodist Church. It’s FULL of great suggestions and links to some of the best resources available for initiating or expanding Dementia Friendly Faith Communities and programs as well as offering practical support for families and caregivers. http://lovingthroughdementia.org/actionplan.html
Did you know? Planet Fundraiser is an app that lets you give back to non-profits, schools, and groups simply by taking a picture of receipts from merchants you already shop at. You shop and participating merchants donate to the charity of your choice. To date almost $1600 has been donated to ACA.
You must be logged in to post a comment.