Living Well with Alzheimer s

Transcription

1 Living Well with Alzheimer s When Ken was diagnosed with Alzheimer s, he and his wife Mary Margaret moved to Minnesota to be closer to family. By the time they moved, Ken had withdrawn from friends and social situations because of his memory loss, and Mary Margaret, his primary caregiver, was dealing with significant caregiver burden and stress. That s been turned around since Ken and Mary Margaret discovered Living Well: A Holistic Program for People with Early Memory Loss at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, a United Way partner agency. When they started, Mary Margaret tested at high risk for distress due to the stress of her caretaker duties and her concerns about Ken, who had become more and more isolated. Through Wilder, both became part of a caring community of friends and experienced newfound energy and passion for life. Ken participates in group activities that focused on good nutrition, exercise, cognitive challenges, socialization and creative arts. I always return home energized, enthusiastic about life, and smiling, says Ken, who particularly enjoys the new friends he s made through the program. While Ken participated in these activities, Mary Margaret attended a support group where she connected with caregivers experiencing similar struggles. She also attended Wilder s Memory Loss Discussion Group, participated in the Loft Writing series for caregivers, and used Access Assistance to learn more about programs that can help people with Alzheimer s and their caregivers. Since participating in these programs, Mary Margaret s caretaker assessment has improved to mild to no risk of distress, a status she has maintained for the past year. The program and staff have sustained and supported us, and as a result, we are thriving in the face of Alzheimer s, said Mary Margaret.

2 Ken and Mary Margaret s situation is not unique. According to the Alzheimer s Association, 12% of Minnesota seniors have Alzheimer s, and their family caregivers contribute millions of hours of unpaid care each year. Community programs for the elderly and their caregivers can help provide the support needed to help seniors remain as independent as possible and relieve some of the stress of caregiving all at a lower cost to the community. Your contribution to United Way helps those efforts. United Way is the largest non-government funder of human services programs, including those focused on seniors. Working with its partner agencies, United Way identifies and shares best practices, conducts studies to learn where and what the greatest needs are, and is a leader in convening and supporting publicprivate collaborations that maximize the independence of older adults and support their caregivers.

3 TED Time for an Encore At first, 94-year-old Ted wasn t happy about leaving the farm for a few hours to attend Carver County s Encore Adult Day Services Program, which receives support from United Way. Ted lived alone, and his primary care physician had recommended the program to increase his socialization and strength after a hospitalization. His family also urged him to try the program for a few days each week. During his first days at Encore, Ted observed several activities instead of getting involved. But by the end of the second month, he was actively engaging in all programs and enjoying the many opportunities to visit and play card games with the friends he made there. Ted also participated in two daily exercise programs and a fall prevention goal that been written for him to address his balance and stamina issues. During a strength training program, staff observed Ted having a seizure and quickly intervened, having him sit down to prevent a fall. Shortly thereafter, Ted s family made arrangements for him to move to a local assisted living because of concerns they had about his health and living situation. Ted s family planned to reduce his days at Encore since he would have more people to visit at his new residence, but Ted had something else in mind. He wanted to increase his attendance from two to three times a week! Encore is where I go for my activities, he said. We see the pleasure Ted gets out of being with others and participating in the activities, said Encore staff. Ted loves to laugh and make others laugh. Almost every day he says You girls are wonderful and then he thanks us for making it such a nice day. The feeling is quite mutual! Everyone at Encore makes my dad s day, echoed his daughter. It s been a great program for him. In 15 years, more than 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be age 65+ and programs such as Encore will become increasingly important. Community programs for the elderly and their caregivers can help provide the support needed to help seniors remain as independent as possible and relieve some of the stress of caregiving all at a lower cost to the community. Your contribution to United Way helps those efforts. United Way is the largest non-government funder of human services programs, including those focused on seniors. Working with its partner agencies, United Way identifies and shares best practices, conducts studies to learn

4 where and what the greatest needs are, and is a leader in convening and supporting publicprivate collaborations that maximize the independence of older adults and support their caregivers.

5 MARY JANE Helping Mom Stay at Home Not too many years ago, it would have been difficult for 84-year-old Mary Jane to stay in the home she enjoys. She has diabetes, wears hearing aids and has other health concerns. She has difficulty managing her medications and household finances, which sometimes caused her to miss taking her pills and paying her bills. But thanks to the help of the West 7th Community Center Senior Program, supported by United Way, Mary Jane has been able to remain in her home for the past five years following a hospitalization. At that time, her two sons had come to the West 7th Community Center Senior Program to ask for their support in keeping Mary Jane in her home. She was assigned a care manager who makes sure Mary Jane has what she needs to stay healthy and safe in her home, including assistive technologies such as a medication machine to ensure she doesn't miss a medication, a life alert system and affordable hearing aids. The West 7th care manager also serves as Mary Jane s health care advocate, bringing her to doctor appointments, making sure any follow-up care is take care of, and providing Mary Jane s home care nurse with updates needed to provide proper care. The nurse comes in weekly to check Mary Jane s blood sugar levels and manage her medications. Mary Jane also receives Meals on Wheels from the center three times a week, which also helps keep her blood sugars in check. West 7 th s homemaking program visits twice a week to clean and help Mary with her bills. Before receiving homemaking services, Mary had trouble organizing all her mail and would have late fees on bills because she would forget to pay them. Mary attends exercise programs at the community center every week, which has helped with her knee pain and weight management, which is vital to managing her diabetes. We re happy we can serve her both in her home and at the community center, where she comes for exercise and to participate in social events. She is a true part of our community, said Maureen Davidson of West 7 th Community Center. In 15 years, more than 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be age 65+ and programs such as the West 7th Community Center Senior Program will become increasingly important. Community programs for the elderly and their caregivers can help provide the support needed to help seniors remain as independent as possible and relieve some of the stress of caregiving all at a lower cost to the community.

6 Your contribution to United Way helps those efforts. United Way is the largest non-government funder of human services programs, including those focused on seniors. Working with its partner agencies, United Way identifies and shares best practices, conducts studies to learn where and what the greatest needs are, and is a leader in convening and supporting publicprivate collaborations that maximize the independence of older adults and support their caregivers.