July 2023

Words Happy Independence Day! and Firework graphic on black sky background

But there's much more to July!

Did you know how many holidays there are in July?

Click this link to explore what they are!

Aging Gracefully will now be published in the odd-numbered months, beginning July 2023. And we now have a web page for posting resources. Scroll to the end of this issue to learn more.

HIGHLIGHTED TRAINING / EVENT:

Dementia Friends and Dementia Friends Champions

Free, virtual Dementia Friends Trainings with optional Dementia Friends Champions Trainings will be offered twice a month for individuals who work and live in Ohio, for the next few months.

The daytime sessions will be held the second Thursday each month, 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm. The next ones coming up are July 13 and August 10.

The evening sessions will be held the fourth Tuesday each month, 6:00 to 8:30 pm. The next ones coming up are July 25 and August 27.

Dementia Friends is a global call-to-action movement, started by the Alzheimer's Association in the UK, to help everyone in a community understand how dementia impacts individuals and families, as well as understand how everyone can make a difference. There is an emphasis on reducing stigma. Dementia Friends Ohio is hosted by the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health.

Pre-registration is required for these sessions. Learn more and register at the OCFCH Dementia Friends Ohio site.

Flyer with registration and contact information.

FEATURED MEDICAL ARTICLES

The AARP is the nation's largest, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans over 50 to choose how they live as they age. AARP has a wealth of information for seniors and caregivers.

AARP Family Caregiving Guide(s)

Different versions are available for families who speak different languages, and for different ethnic groups, as well as other specific communities such as military families and the LGBTQ community. Click here for the caregiver guides.

The materials include difficult topics such as having important, but difficult, conversations, keeping track of medications and documents - and self-care for caregivers!

This will be available going forward on the LCBDD Senior Committee website.

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One family caregiver's story of coping with grief, and finding peace, in the wake of the elderly mother's passing - AARP

Link to Article

Lee Woodruff, writer of the article, with her mother and other family

What Your Weight in Your 70s (and Beyond) Means for Your Health - AARP

Here are some surprising truths about our changing bodies, and what those changes really mean to our health and longevity. Read the article.

Deep Sleep Might Be a Buffer

Against Alzheimer's-Linked Memory Loss

Getting good sleep is an important part of wellness for many reasons, but new research suggests deep sleep IQ may even guard against memory loss linked to Alzheimer's.

Source: MedicineNet - Click here to read more.

In an Aging America,

a Looming Shortage of Home Health Care Workers

Over the last decade, an aging American population has increasingly turned away from nursing homes in favor of trained caregivers who can provide critical help in the home with basic daily tasks.

But a new investigation warns the need for at-home care has vastly outpaced a much smaller growth in the pool of home care workers.

Young woman with clipboard giving drink to older woman in living room setting

MedicineNet: Read the full article.

Click here to learn more about the shortage of direct support professionals (DSPs), those who provide services directly to people served by the Ohio Department of DD and county Boards of DD.

ACTIVITIES TO KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP:

Qwirkle

Qwirkle is a game that is played like Dominoes, only instead of matching numbers of dots, you match the color and / or the shape. People in early and middle stages of memory loss should be able to play the game by its rules, especially if they’re familiar with the rules of Dominoes. Those in the later stages may enjoy playing on a “team” with someone asking them to find a specific color or shape in their team’s “hand” rather than having to find an open tile on the board, remember the rules, and find an appropriate tile in their “hand.” People in the late stages may also enjoy just making patterns with the tiles or sorting them by shape or color.

For more about Qwirkle, click here.

For a card game version of Qwirkle, a lot like Rummy, click here.

Qwirkle Rummy box showing pictures of Qwirkle cards on front

COURTESY SHARES

Trainings, resources and other opportunities related to DD, aging, and/or dementia offered by other organizations, some outside of Lucas County.

The Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association has an IDD-and-dementia program something like our our Senior Committee.

Click here to view the schedule of IDD-and-dementia webinars they are offering in the Summer and Fall of 2023. (Scroll down to "DDSSP Education.")

Aging Gracefully is published and edited by the

Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (LCBDD)

Senior Supports Committee.

Click here for the NEW Senior Support Committee web site page, and learn about:

How we can help providers and families support an individual who is aging, or has or may develop dementia
How we help support families in which the caregiving members are aging
Our ideas and resources for activities to promote healthy aging
Other resources and supports related to healthy aging for those with DD, that we can connect you with
Resources, including webinars, related to aging, DD and dementia, offered by partner or neighbor organizations

Here is an additional page of the LCBDD web site that can help you locate sources of financial help for various needs (for all ages).

The Senior Committee includes LCBDD staff, as well as providers and

families who have experience with aging and dementia.

Click here to find past issues of the newsletter.