MWHIghfiveMA/NH Essential E-news
January 2011




In the News...

President Obama signs landmark legislation for national Alzheimer's strategy. Read about the Alzheimer's Project. 

Alzheimer Advocacy Action Day Feb 7
MaStateHouse.winter 
Join with us at the State Capitol in  Boston to ask our legislators to support quality of care for those with Alzheimer's. Tell your story! Change begins with you.
Monday, February 7 - 10 a.m.-noon
Grand Staircase / Mass State House, Boston, MA
For more information or to register, contact Jennifer Carter or call 617.868.6718. Or click on the State House and let us know we can count on you!
New Skills Series for Caregivers

Essential Skills for Alzheimer's Care: It Starts with Communication (Watertown, MA)

Alzheimer's Association, 311 Arsenal Street, 4th Floor

First in a series of new skills-based programs for family caregivers of a person with Alzheimer's or another dementia.   

Secifically designed with family caregivers in mind (no professional caregivers please).  Pre-registration is required.

Wednesday, February 16, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, Click here  to register online. 

Monday, February 28, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Click here to register online.

24/7 Helpline for MA and NH
Family caregiverOur 24/7 Helpline is free, confidential, and a lifeline for thousands who call us each year. We can provide information on resources in Mass and New Hampshire and help in managing care. You do not have to go it alone. Call 800.272.3900 or access Helpline Online with a click.
Meet Volunteer Susan Garland Wood
Sue Wood 

Why did you become an Alzheimer volunteer?

As Dr. Paul Raia has so often said, it was a calling, as if I was drawn to connect with families and individuals so deeply affected by this disease. It has been a tremendous honor to work both with these family caregivers/partners and those with dementia. It has also been a great pleasure to be associated with the fabulous, warm, and friendly Associaiton staff.

What is your primary volunteer role?

I volunteer weekly on the Helpline and bi-monthly as a co-facilitator of a younger-onset support group, working currently with the patient group.

How long have you been volunteering?

I first learned of the Associaiton in 1997 while I was a gerontology social work fellow in Chelsea. It was there that I began working in a nursing home with elders with dementia who were too often forgotten or ignored. In 1998 I became a HL volunteer for a year or two and then was "called" back in 2008 to continue what I hope will be a life-long connection.

What do you like best?

Everything! The staff seems to go out of their way to make me feel welcome and appreciated. The people I am lucky enough to talk with are so appreciative of the time, attention, and support that we volunteers (and staff) are able to share with them. Each time I leave to return home, I feel so blessed with the knowledge that at least in some small way, I have helped to make someone's life go a little more smoothly and reassure them that they are not alone.

Reduce the Risk of Wandering
Wanderer 

Marching into the heart of winter, please take a few minutes to think about the safety of those who are living with Alzheimer's disease. As many as 60 percent of people with Alzheimer's will wander at some point during the progression of the disease.

 

For some it doesn't take much to become lost even in familiar settings, leave a safe environment, or intrude in inappropriate places. A person with Alzheimer's disease who has become lost is confused and sometimes unable to ask for help.

 

There are some steps care partners can take to help reduce the risk of a loved one wandering.

  • Inform neighbors with whom you have relationships of the person's condition and keep a list of their names and telephone numbers.
  • Keep your home safe and secure by installing locks roughly six inches from the top or bottom (out of the person's direct line of vision) on exterior doors, and by limiting access to potentially dangerous areas.
  • Be aware that while the vast majority of people with Alzheimer's who wander from home are on foot, they may also become lost while driving or when using  other modes of transportation.

Consider enrolling in the in the Alzheimer's Association's MedicAlert�+SafeReturn� program, a nationwide identification system designed to assist in the safe return of people who wander and become lost. For more information call 800.272.3900.

Do You Want to Learn More?

Two WomenKnow the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters

As we age, there can be changes to our memory. Knowing the 10 Warning Signs can help determine if it's important to speak to your doctor and get a diagnosis for yourself or someone you care about.  Join us to learn the "10 Signs" because early detection matters!  Click here for a complete schedule of Know the 10 Signs and our other helpful and popular programs for families and individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

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2010 Annual Report Available Online
Annual Report 2010
Our 2010 30th Anniversay Annual Report is available online. We invite you to read the moving profile stories and learning more about the Azleheimer's Association. Click on the report cover.
Bedford, NH Special Program

Coping with Early Memory Loss

 

Wednesday, January 19 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Alzheimer's Association NH Office, 5 Bedford Farms Drive, Suite 201

 

Learn about treatment options for Mild Cognitive Impairment, early Alzheimer's disease, and related disorders, tips for managing your day, and meaningful ways to improve your life.

This program is intended for people with early memory loss and their families and friends.

 

Presenter: Susan Antkowiak

The program is free, but reservations are required.  To reserve your spot, please call 603.606.6590.

Congrats & Correction

Congratulations to Memory Walker Jennifer Gaspar of Dartmouth, MA who won the post-walk promotion and a two-day stary at the Jared Coffin House on Nantucket.

The following are top fundraising walkers for our 2010 Walk! They were inadvertantly not included in our annual report listing. Our thanks to them all!

Front Runners

     Shirley Gordon

     Nancy Nichols & Michael O'Connor

High Steppers

     Karen Crowley

Elite Feet

     Kathleen Foley

     John Murphy

     Julie Steinkrauss

     Bess Stowell

     Sheila Watnick

 
In the Nick of Time...

In the nick of time... 

The Charitable IRA Rollover extension has been reinstated for 2010 and 2011. Click for more details.

Are You a Fan of Joe?
NYAJ
Not your Average Joe's in Watertown, MA has selected the Alzheimer's Association to be their "Not Your Average Cause" for January. Any Tuesday night for the month of January, NYAJ in Watertown only will donate 15% of your tab to the Alzheimer's Association. All you have to do click on the image above, print out and present it to your server.

Our Vision:  a world without Alzheimer's disease.

311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472
regional offices:
Raynham, Springfield and Worcester, MA and Bedford and Lebanon, NH
617.868.6718  MA |  603.606.6590 NH | 800.272.3900 24/7 Helpline
Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter