November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
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AFA Commemorates with Month Full of Activities
November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) has a full month of activities planned. Below is a quick glimpse, but you can find much more information on our website.
- November 5: AFA's Raise Your Voice For Care College Tour kicks off at Frostburg State University, in Frostburg, Md. The day-long event will feature memory and other health screenings, Alzheimer's disease education, a caregiver panel, an introduction to music therapy, yoga, education on career and service opportunities, a display of panels from AFA's Quilt to Remember, and a special concert by Honor By August.
- November 7-9: AFA's National Commemorative Candle Lighting Weekend of Prayer takes place at sites across the country. This annual event serves to remember and honor Americans who have been or will be affected by Alzheimer's disease or related illnesses. Local organizations hold inspirational ceremonies in their communities, uniting individuals from coast to coast as they light "candles of care." For more information or to sign up as a site, click here.
- November 18: National Memory Screening Day-Now in its 12th year, National Memory Screening Day is AFA's signature event. In addition to offering free, confidential memory screenings and educational materials nationwide, AFA is proud to have teamed with a number of landmark buildings across the country, which will light up teal-the international color of Alzheimer's disease-on National Memory Screening Day to help raise awareness of the illness, which currently affects more than 5 million Americans. The sites are:
- RSA Battle House Tower in Alabama
- The Pylons at the entrance of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California
- SunTrust Financial Centre in Tampa, Fla.
- Trump International Tower in Chicago, Ill.
- LaSalle Lookout Tower in Minneapolis, Minn.
- The Empire State Building in New York, N.Y.
- Niagara Falls, New York and Canada
- Allegheny County Courthouse and Executive Office in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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New York Academy of Sciences Hosts Symposium on Gene Network Changes in Alzheimer's Disease
On November 3, the New York Academy of Sciences will host a symposium: "Gene Network Changes in Alzheimer's Disease: Potential Points for Therapeutic Intervention," at its office in New York City. Keynote speakers include: Erik W.G.M. Boddeke, Ph.D., University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands; Oleg Butovsky, Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.; Joseph El Khoury, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.; Miriam Merad, M.D., Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, N.Y.; Michael Oldham, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.; and Bin Zhang, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, N.Y. For more information and to register, click here.
Medicare Open Enrollment Now Through December 7
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the start Medicare Open Enrollment, which runs through December 7. During this time, the organization encourages Medicare beneficiaries to review their prescription drug and healthcare coverage options for 2015. "It's important that seniors should take this time to review their plans to make sure they are the best choice for their situation. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, seniors and people with disabilities are benefiting from improved quality in Medicare health and drug plans at competitive prices," said CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. For more information, click here.
National Alliance for Caregiving Offers Mini Grants for Caregiving Coalitions
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) this week announced it is offering mini-grants for U.S. caregiving coalitions to support an event that will raise the visibility of challenges facing family caregivers who are balancing work and care. In partnership with the ReACT Coalition and Pfizer, coalition advocates will lead state house, town hall, or other events with local and state Caregiving Champions.
Support includes: a $1,500 grant for the work; technical assistance from national advocates; use of tools including the ReACT Caregiver Journey Experience map; and recognition of the Caregiver Champion on NAC's website. Click here to download the RFP application.
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Researchers Create 'Alzheimer's in a Dish'
For the first time, researchers have cultivated what they're deeming "Alzheimer's in a Dish." Rudolph E. Tanzi and colleague Doo Yeon Kim of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass., grew human brain cells in a petri dish and gave the neurons genes for Alzheimer's disease. This resulted in the development of the characteristic amyloid plaques of Alzheimer's disease. This research could potentially accelerate the testing of new drug therapies aimed at treating the disease. Read more
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Member Spotlight
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Cooperative Elder Services, Inc.
Lexington, Mass.
Cooperative Elder Services, Inc. (CESI), a nonprofit Adult Day Health organization, provides Memory Care Support programs throughout greater Boston. As part of its Memory Care, CESI has established vibrant Therapeutic Gardening Programs at three of its five Adult Day Health centers that have outdoor, enclosed patio space.
Whether indoors or outside on the patio during the warmer months, clients engage in gardening as a purposeful activity to help reduce feelings of depression or anxiety, promote socialization, and encourage self-expression, fine and gross motor movement, and cognitive stimulation.
Winter-time activities range from making holiday centerpieces out of fresh greens, to planting amaryllis and daffodil bulbs. During the summer, participants plant impatiens and pansies outside in large pots, as shown in the photo below. Fresh flower arranging workshops are also offered.
The CESI "Garden Clubs" provide meaningful experiences for clients who have dementia, as they can still enjoy nature and tactile or sensory stimulation.
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CESI client, Jeanne Soucy, of Concord, Mass.
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Fundraiser Spotlight
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Maria Walters
Atlanta, Ga.
In 2009, Maria Walters and a group of friends hatched an idea for an event that blended science and space, in memory of their mutual friend Jeff Medkeff, an astronomer, scientist and asteroid hunter, who passed away from liver cancer. And so, the Atlanta Star Party was born.
Hosted each subsequent year, on the eve of DragonCon, a sci-fi and fantasy convention, the Atlanta Star Party is equal parts cocktail party, astronomy lecture and stargazing session. It is held at Emory University's Observatory.
This year, Walters chose AFA to receive a portion--$1,875--of the monies raised in memory of one of her volunteers' mother, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease. Walters also noted that another factor for choosing AFA was "the amount of money AFA gives back to the cause," as opposed to administrative functions.
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Upcoming Events
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November 7-9 - National Commemorative Candle Lighting Weekend of Prayer
 AFA's National Commemorative Candle Lighting Weekend of Prayer is an annual event to remember and honor Americans who have been or will be affected by Alzheimer's disease or related illnesses. It is held each November in recognition of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.
Learn more
November 18 - National Memory Screening Day On November 18, AFA will host its annual National Memory Screening Day. Free, confidential memory screenings will be administered by qualified health professionals at local sites nationwide, including pharmacies, doctor's offices, libraries, long-term care settings, and houses of worship.
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