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Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
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Calendar
All programs are free to attend unless otherwise specified.
March 1st, Caregiver Education the ABC's of Organizing at Westminster Shores, 1700 3rd Avenue West Bradenton, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
March 5th Caregiver Education Navigating Life Changes Lifetime Enrichment for seniors at H2u Cortez 6670 Cortez Road West, Bradenton, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
March 6th Caregiver Education The ABC's of Alzheimer's at Emeritus at College Park, 5612 26th Street West, Bradenton 10.00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
March 7th Caregiver Education How Case Management Services Can Benefit the Caregiver at the Health Center at Freedom Village, 6410 21st Avenue West, Bradenton. Please RSVP for lunch (941)365-8883, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
March 9th Health Fair, Aging in Paradise, Long Boat Island Chapel, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Long Boat Key, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
March 11th Health Fair, Sea Breeze Mobile home park, 3901 71st Street West, Bradenton 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
March 12th Caregiver Education Navigating Life Changes Help for You and Your Home. H2U Cortez, 6670 Cortez Road, West, Bradenton, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
March 13th Caregiver Education Stay Well! How Physical Exercise and Movement Can Improve Your Health, at Windsor Reflections, 8230 Nature's Way Lakewood Ranch, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
March 15th Memory Screens South Branch Library, 6051 26th Street West, Bradenton. 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
March 19th Caregiver Education Navigating Life Changes Lifetime Enrichment: Spirituality and Seniors at H2U Cortez Center, 6670 Cortez Road, West, Bradenton, 1:00 p.m-3:00 p.m.
March 21st Caregiver Education Ten Warning Signs at Braden River Care Center, 2010 Manatee Avenue East, Bradenton, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
March 27th Caregiver Education Driving and Dementia South Branch Manatee County Library, 6051 26th Street West, Bradenton. 1:00-3:00 p.m.
March 28th Caregiver Education The Alzheimer's Virtual Tour at Summerfield Assisted Residence 3409 26th Street West, Bradenton 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Coming in April
April 2nd Caregiver Education Navigating Life's Changes the Introduction at H2U Cortez, 6670 Cortez Road West, Bradenton, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
April 3rd Caregiver Education The ABC's of Alzheimer's Disease, Emeritus at College Park 5612 26th Street West, Bradenton, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
April 5th Caregiver Education How the V.A. Can Assist the Caregiver, Westminster Shores, 1700 3rd Avenue West, Bradenton, 1:30-3:30 p.m. |
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Support Groups
Alzheimer's Association-Florida Gulf Coast Chapter affiliated support groups are for family members, caregivers, and others interested in learning more about Alzheimer's disease. Meetings are open to everyone and free of charge. Support group facilitators have received training as required by Chapter and National Alzheimer's Association standards. For program information and to verify meeting dates, times, and locations, please use the telephone contacts listed below. For other questions or for respite care information so you can attend a group, call your local office or 1- 800-272-3900.
Message Boards: The Alzheimer's Association message boards and chat rooms are your online communication forum. Our message boards have over 9,000 registered members from around the United States, and many more people who simply browse the stories and information that is offered 24 hours a day. Join the Alzheimer's Association online community.
Island Branch Library
5701 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach
2nd Friday of each month at 2:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Sue Fox (941) 365-8883
Bradenton
Clare Bridge Bradenton
6101 Pointe West Boulevard
4th Tuesday of each month at 2:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Jen Cassidy
Clare Bridge phone (941) 795-5533
Summerfield Assisted Living
3409 26th Street West
3rd Wednesday of each month at 12:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Pam Green (941) 751-7200
Free lunch with RSVP
Windsor Oaks
2614 43rd Street West
4th Thursday of each month at 10:00 a.m.
Facilitators: Linda Delaberti/ Lulu Meyer
(941) 798-9701
Freedom Village
6410 21st Avenue
The Inn and Health Center 3rd floor dining room
3rd Thursday of each month at 2:30 p.m.
Facilitators: Erika Gibson
(941) 798-8200
The Bridge of Bradenton
4000 75th Street West
3rd Wednesday of each month at 12:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Jen Cassidy (941)795-5533
Lakewood Ranch
Windsor Reflections
8230 Nature's Way
2nd Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m.
Lunch provided with RSVP
Facilitator: Julie Gartside (941) 957-1400
Ellenton
H2U of Blake Medical Center
7042 US Hwy 301 North
3rd Friday of each month
* Indicates Free Respite is provided by the support group host during the support group meeting. Please call in advance for reservations.
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Care for the Caregiver
Stefanie Thompson, Sr. Prog. Specialist, AAFGCC Caregivers may find that with so many responsibilities self care is placed as a lesser priority than care of a loved one. Yet, staying physically and emotionally strong is key to healthier caregiving. To this end, this column is dedicated to health promotion and personal care for the caregiver.
Alzheimer's Navigator™ A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease raises many questions. The Alzheimer's Navigator - a free online tool designed specifically to help guide you to answers by creating customized action plans and providing access to information, support and local resources. When facing dementia, there are a lot of things to consider. Alzheimer's Navigator helps map out a plan to approach Alzheimer's disease. Follow simple steps to figure out the next steps to develop a personalized action plan. - Complete the Welcome Survey (Estimated time: 5 minutes). Example questions: Are you caring for someone with Alzheimer's or living with the disease yourself? What sort of challenges do you face on a daily basis?
- Answer focused surveys (Estimated time: 5 minutes). Based on your responses to the Welcome Survey, we will suggest additional surveys focused on the topics you want to know about, covering everything from care to safety to planning for the future.
- Receive a customized Action Plan. (See sample). We will deliver a tailored plan in an easy-to-use format.
Ready to get started? Go to the Alzheimer's Navigator page and take the first steps towards your personalized action plan. |
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State Plan to Address the Growing Needs of People Affected by Alzheimer's Disease
Gloria J.T. Smith, President/CEO
Alzheimer's Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Every 68 seconds someone develops Alzheimer's, but that number is expected to skyrocket in coming years. Baby boomers are now reaching their golden years; therefore Florida will witness a dramatic increase of Alzheimer population.
Last year, the Florida Legislature approved legislation that created an 18-member Purple Ribbon Task Force that will develop a comprehensive state plan to address the growing needs of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.
The new law requires the Task Force to assess the current impact of the disease and determine what future steps are needed to support the growing number of families affected by this devastating disease. With the leadership of Representative Matt Hudson (Naples) and Senator Garrett Richter (Naples), the bill moved swiftly through the legislative process with full support by the entire Legislature and the Governor.
Since the final approval by the Governor, the 18 members were appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Florida Senate, and the Governor. Representative Matt Hudson was unanimously appointed by the members to Chair the Task Force.
The Purple Ribbon Task Force immediately mapped dementia-specific services around the state and identified the gaps in services. To date, the Purple Ribbon Task Force has met five times by webinar; created four subcommittees who have met multiple times. As required by law, the Task Force submitted an Interim Report to the Governor, Speaker and President on January 30. 2013.
The Task Force now begins the second phase of the year-long process by assessing the services and gaps, and developing a comprehensive plan that will include recommendations for change. The Task Force must submit the plan to the Speaker, President and Governor by August 1, 2013. We are anticipating Alzheimer legislation during the 2014 Legislative Session that will include many of the recommended changes made by the Purple Ribbon Task Force.
Gloria J.T. Smith, President/CEO of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter was appointed to serve on the Purple Ribbon Task Force. |
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Seven Stages of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Frameworks or models can be useful when trying to better understand the possible progression of the disease.
One such model is the the seven-stage framework which is based on a system developed by Barry Reisberg, M.D., clinical director of the New York University School of Medicine's Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center.
Note that Alzheimer's symptoms vary. The stages below provide a general idea of how abilities change during the course of the disease. Stage 1: No impairmentThe person does not experience any memory problems. An interview with a medical professional does not show any evidence of symptoms of dementia.
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Left- No impairment.
Right- Very severe decline |
Stage 2: Very mild declineThe person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses - forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday objects. But no symptoms of dementia can be detected during a medical examination or by friends, family or co-workers. Stage 3: Mild declineFriends, family or co-workers begin to notice difficulties. During a detailed medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in memory or concentration Stage 4: Moderate declineGaps in memory and thinking are noticeable, and individuals begin to need help with day-to-day activities. Stage 6: Severe declineMemory continues to worsen, personality changes may take place and individuals need extensive help with daily activities. Stage 7: Very severe declineIn the final stage of this disease, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control movement.
Remember that not everyone will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate. In addition, it might be difficult to place a person in one stage as stages overlap. |
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Early Stage Program
The Alzheimer's Association has early stage dementia programs.
Are you or someone you know experiencing early stage dementia? If so, they may qualify to participate in one of our early stage programs.
For more information contact your local office. |
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Caregiver Jewels
Emily Reese, Program Specialist, AAFGCC
Welcome to Caregiver Jewels, a column featuring caregiving tips by family and professional caregivers throughout our 17 county service area. These "golden nuggets" represent caregiving strategies and tricks of the trade.
For the column to be a success we need your input! It may be a "golden nugget" you say to get your loved one to attend a program or an activity to redirect their attention. Whether your tip is a diamond, emerald or ruby - all are valuable! So, please share the wealth! Send your tip to reesee@alzflgulf.org or contact your local office.
March Tip
Decrease the Chances of Wandering
A caregiver obtained a wireless doormat chime on Amazon.com. When the mat is stepped on a chime sounds on the chiming unit which alerts the caregiver that their loved one is on the move. The mat can be placed by the side of a bed or in front of a door.
Since, six out of ten people with Alzheimer's disease will wander and wandering can happen at any stage of the disease, it is important to take steps to increase the safety of the person with dementia. A chiming doormat is just one of many options or tools available to increase the safety of a loved one. Other options include the following:
- The MedicAlert® + Alzheimer's Association Safe Return® program is a nationwide identification program designed to save lives by facilitating the safe return of those whose wander. It includes an identification bracelet for the person with dementia as well as an optional caregiver bracelet.
- The Comfort Zone® and Comfort Zone Check-In™programs allows families to monitor a loved one's whereabouts remotely using web-based location services.
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For more information visit Wandering and Getting Lost
located within the Safety section of the Alzheimer's Association Care Center. The page includes warning signs of wandering as well as strategies to help lower its chances. Remember that no safety plan is foolproof but proper planning can provide peace of mind to the caregiver and greatly increase safety for the person with dementia.
Note: The information in this column is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. |
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If you have questions, concerns or just wish to talk to someone please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Sue Fox
Program Specialist
Alzheimer's Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
3277A Fruitville Road, Suite 1
Sarasota, FL 34237
Email: foxs@alzflgulf.org
Office: 941-365-8883
Fax: 941-365-8885
Website: www.alz.org/flgulfcoast |
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Alzheimer's Association - Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
Chapter Headquarters, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 709, Clearwater, FL 33762 Telephone: 727.578.2558
National Headquarters-Alzheimer's Association National Office, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601
Alzheimer's Association is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization © 2010 Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.
24/7 Helpline: 1.800.272.3900 |
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