A special way of communicating - Alzheimer's Association

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Our world: The heavy toll of Alzheimer’s By Rufus Woods Excerpt from the September 5, 2008 edition of The Wenatchee World. Reprinted with permission. You don’t have to look very far to find families that have been profoundly affected by Alzheimer’s. It’s devastating and frightening for those who are in the early stages of the disease, but the families pay the biggest price when a loved one can no longer remember the past or the people around them. People don’t like to talk about it, as if by not discussing it, perhaps it won’t affect them.That's the observation of Mike Armstrong, Chelan County Port District’s director of external affairs and a legislator. Armstrong came face-to-face with Alzheimer’s a year ago when his mother, Joanne Sauer, was diagnosed with the disease.Armstrong and his niece, Brittany Smith, visited with me last week about the ordeal. It was an emotional meeting as Smith and Armstrong recounted Joanne Sauer’s mental decline and her passing in February. Armstrong remembers vividly the day his mother asked him to bring a gun. “Please just kill me, get me out of here,” she pleaded. It was a scene she repeated on several occasions with her granddaughter Brittany. The disease was robbing her of her ability to remember, but she was in what they call a transitional phase, and she was terrified.This woman, who had raised three young kids mostly on her own and who was always in control, was losing it, and in her lucid moments she knew it. 4 Joanne Sauer with her great-granddaughter, Julianna. Armstrong’s reaction to his mother's distress? “You know she's in hell and you couldn't do anything about it,” he recounted. So much anxiety, so much fear and very little anyone could do to help. Sauer was first diagnosed by the folks at Central Washington Hospital, where she was taken after suffering a fall.The family had been seeing signs, but Sauer had covered her deterioration well, as Alzheimer’s patients typically do. The diagnosis led to further tests and a determination by the family that she couldn’t go home and needed full-time care.At a visit to the Alzheimer’s unit at Highgate Senior Living, the crushing reality set in.Touring the Cottage, a facility for those in the advanced stages of the disease,Armstrong said, within 15 minutes he had to leave because he found it so overwhelming. It’s one thing to take a tour of the place, but when you’re considering putting a loved one in that environment, it really hits home, said Armstrong. Kerrie Mitchell, Highgate’s community relations coordinator, said many families don’t seek outside help and try to keep loved ones at home far too long. Family dynamics that are involved in making those decisions are excruciating, she acknowledged. For Sauer, the descent was very fast. After the diagnosis, she lasted only seven months or so, and the family rallied to her side.As time went on, she was there mentally with them less and less, but there were flashes of recognition. There were lots of difficult moments, but also some moments of joy and humor.Armstrong talked about the time a fellow patient came by and started rubbing his mother’s arm, annoying her.“She's cracked,” Sauer told him as the woman walked off, Armstrong recounted with a chuckle. Smith said what she cherishes is the fact that the family had the opportunity to say goodbye in meaningful ways. They knew the end was coming and they were able to say the things that needed to be said. The family will be honoring Joanne Sauer’s life by participating in a Memory Walk in Seattle sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association on Sunday, Sept. 14.They've raised $4,400 thus far and hope to raise $10,000 in support of research for a cure. Details can be found online at www.alz.com/memorywalk/. Rufus Woods is editor and publisher of The Wenatchee World. Reach him at (509)665-1162 or rwoods@wenworld.com. 24/7 HELPLINE Remember that we're here for you 24/7 when you have questions or need information. Call us at (206) 363-5500, 1(800) 848-7097, or visit us online at www.alzwa.org.
3rd Annual African American Caregivers Forum: A special venue and great stories to tell by Rowena Rye On Saturday, October 25th we will host the 3rd Annual African American Family Caregivers Forum at the new Northwest African American Museum. The museum’s exhibits and programs feature the visual arts, music, crafts, literature and history of African Americans in the Northwest and exhibits of the artwork of two internationally recognized artists, Jacob Lawrence and James W.Washington, Jr. In conjunction with the forum, StoryCorps® will be on site recording the personal stories of African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. StoryCorps® is a unique project that presents select interviews, drawn from all parts of our diverse nation, on public radio. Each 40-minute session is treated as a ‘sacred’ moment in participants’ lives, and recordings are also archived for posterity at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.You may have heard excerpts from StoryCorps® recordings broadcast on NPR. This year’s forum will feature keynote speaker Mark Snowden, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Snowden is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. In addition, he serves as the medical director for geriatric psychiatry services at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. In this capacity he provides and supervises inpatient treatment and consultations as well as services to several community-based nursing homes and clinics. Dr. Snowden’s address is Dr. Mark Snowden, M.D., M.P.H. entitled Dementia Care Overview: What Caregivers Need to Know. Julia Boyd, M. Ed., psychotherapist with Group Health’s Behavioral Health Services, will be the day’s featured luncheon speaker. Ms. Boyd will lead a discussion entitled Taking Care of Ourselves. Ms. Boyd is the author of four highly praised, best-selling selfhelp books including In the Company of My Sisters: Black Women and Self- Esteem. She is a frequent contributor to Essence, Ebony, Jet and Heart & Soul magazines, and contributed to both editions of The Black Women's Health Book. Julia Boyd, M.Ed In addition, this year’s forum will feature An Overview of Medicaid Long Term Care Programs to assist caregivers with information to consider in planning for the future. Sonya Sanders, Home and Community Services Deputy Director for Region 4, and Jerald Ulrich, Financial Policy and Training Program Manager, will provide current information about COPES and Medicaid for Nursing Homes and will respond to questions from the audience. The forum will emphasize the importance of caring for ourselves holistically, body, mind and spirit. To underscore this theme, throughout the day licensed massage therapists Mechelle McClain, Beverly Frazier and Vonda Prioleau will be available to provide soothing massage for stressed caregivers. Additionally, on-site complimentary self-care treatments will be provided by Debrena Jackson Gandy and Warm Spirit. This year’s sponsors include AegisLiving; Aging & Disability Services, City of Seattle; CCS,African American Elders Program; Compassion and Choices of Washington; ElderHealth Northwest; Mayor's Council on African American Elders; Providence Hospice of Seattle; and VA Medical Center.To learn more about sponsoring this event contact Patricia Hunter at (206)363-5500. Exhibit tables featuring resources for caregivers will also be available throughout the day and offer participants a range of helpful options to consider. In addition, each participant will receive an attractive “goodie bag” filled with resource information. Attendance and luncheon are free. To reserve your seat for this year’s forum, register online at www.alz.org/alzwa.org (click on events in the left-hand navigation bar) or call (206)529-3894. 5
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A special way of communicating - Alzheimer's Association

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