Forum on Dementia and Alzheimer's in the Brainerd lakes area

LAMAA Presents

Living Well with Alzheimer's

May 15 & 16, 2012

Central Lakes College, Brainerd Campus

This forum is open to the public. Anyone wishing to learn more about Alzheimer's Disease and dementia is welcome to attend. The same information will be offered on Tuesday, May 15, 3:30 - 8:00 pm, and Wednesday, May 16, from 7:30 am - Noon, with just a few changes. You can attend both days since there are several breakout sessions to chose from. The cost is $10. CDUs, CEs and CMEs are available for professionals in the medical field. Please let us know if you are attending as a member of the medical field or as a caregiver or community member.

Vendor booths are available for $75.

A free dinner for physicians with Dr. Terry Barclay, will take place on Tuesday, May 15, at 6:00 at The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes. Please RSVP to Lauree Davis (Lakewood Behavioral Health Department) by Monday, May 7, at 218-894-8852 or laureedavis@lakewoodhealthsystem.com.

The Forum includes a keynote address from Dr. Terry Barclay and several breakout sessions including: medications, depression, the teen perspective, caregiver support, and information on cognitive testing. 

Terry R. Barclay, PhD is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist who specializes
in aging, memory loss, and dementia. Dr. Barclay received his doctorate in clinical
psychology from Michigan State University with residency training in geropsychology
at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. He is a graduate of the neuropsychology
postdoctoral fellowship program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
where his research focused on the cognitive and psychological changes associated with
normal aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. Dr. Barclay is the Director
of Neuropsychology at HealthPartners and Regions Hospital in St. Paul and maintains
a private practice in Edina, MN. He specializes in neurodegenerative disease and
early detection of cognitive impairment in the geriatric population. As a Research
Investigator with the Alzheimer’s Research Center, his published findings have
described the relationship between cognitive impairment and medication compliance, the
characterization and measurement of neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients in long
term care, outcomes in medication therapy for the treatment of dementia, and the impact
of behavioral and emotional disturbances on professional caregivers. Dr. Barclay also
serves as the Clinical Director of Minnesota’s statewide program for dementia caregivers
called Family Memory Care, is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory
Council for the Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota and North Dakota, and is a dementia
consultant for the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

For more information, please contact:
Kori Busho
Customized Training Representative
Program Coordinator
218-855-8139 kbusho@clcmn.edu
Online registration for Forum on Dementia and Alzheimer's at CLC

Volunteers Keep Hope Alive

People who are aging slowly become isolated. They might not be able to get out of the house on their own, or it exhausts them. They sit at the window, looking out as life walks by, waiting for someone to call or stop in. Many family members take turns visiting their aging loved ones, and some hire people to come in for care and companionship. Others have neighbors or church members who look in on them. We are social beings with a need to be near each other and share our stories. Click on this link to read about the joys of volunteering and bringing hope to someone who needs it.

Sharing a link on Alzheimer's Research

Deb Cranny, from Home Instead, shared the following link on Alzheimer's research. The good news is that discoveries are being made and we are closer to understanding the disease. It's a growing concern as our large population lives longer. But, we can do something. Knowledge is power. It also relieves some of the anxiety of aging and, specifically, dementia. You are not alone. Dementia research is high priority.

Click on the link to Help for Alzheimer's Families.

Getting involved

Hi Wonderful LAMAAs!!

PLEASE, if you are interested in membership on any of the state wide committees working to end Alzheimer’s go to this website and check it out!

http://www.collectiveactionlab.com/?q=node/61 The Alzheimer’s Association MN/ND chapter executive director has invited us to join these statewide committees. I know we all have a lot of questions about what they entail and this website can answer most if not all of your questions. So again, PLEASE, if you are interested check it out!

The local LAMAA group is also open to new members and anyone who'd like to help with The Walk to End Alzheimer's.

Thanks!

Storytelling Engages Seniors

Quote of the Day: Memory fades, but imagination and emotions never go away. - Mary Aalgaard, from observances and education on Dementia and therapy using fine arts.

(Photo of costume sketches at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis)

Images, songs, word prompts, physical engagement in the arts,

stimulate the mind.

Art Therapy, Music Therapy, and now Storytelling to spark imagination and interaction, are all working to engage people suffering from dementia.  We cannot, necessarily, use these means to trigger memory. What we can do, is learn to live in the moment, stimulate creativity, and find new ways to engage with the people we love. 

Watch this video from The Today Show to learn more about how storytelling and the use of theater arts brings people out of the fog of dementia and into new light.

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45435491#45435491

Learn more about this program at http://www.timeslips.org/
What we're doing today is creating memories.

Noticing changes during Holiday Visits

Quote of the Day:  Families coming home for the holidays can raise or notice some concerns (about elderly family members). How to deal with this, especially during the holidays, can be difficult to figure out. Deb Cranny, director of Home Instead, from her article in The Brainerd Dispatch, Senior Class section, Tuesday, Nov, 15, 2011.
Click on the link to The Dispatch (above) to read the article. Deb has some helpful tips on handling the holidays and how to bring up concerns that you might notice in your loved one. It's hard for those living close to the situation to notice changes. But, those who have been away for a while might have a different perspective. Be respectful when talking to each other about this, and always keep loving concern as the main ingredient in this conversation.

Happy Holidays!

Make time for each other and be sure to write down the family's best traditions and recipes to pass on through the generations. Like Grandma's flawless lefse!

Memory Screening

Take charge of your brain health!

Stop in for a free, confidential screening, and tips for improving memory and thinking skills.
Lakes Area Senior Center
Tuesday, November 15
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m
Complimentary donuts and coffee!

A memory screening is a simple and safe evaluation tool that checks memory and other thinking skills. For more information call Good Samaritan Society - Brainerd (218)829-1429.