forgetmenots
 
 
Treatment and Support for Families Affected by Alzheimer's and other Memory Disorders
 October 2010
Vol 1, Issue 5

 
Forget-Me-Nots
forgetmenots
forget-me-nots

 
  
 Caregiver
 Network
 News
 

 A monthly newsletter for caregivers of loved ones with memory loss

 
 
 
 

 

 

The Music of John Denver

a tribute concert performed by

Tom Donnelly & Friends

 

A benefit for MEMORYCARE

 

Sunday, October 17, 2010

4:00 p.m.

Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place

Downtown Asheville

 
Tickets $20 each           Patron Tickets $75
 

Tickets may be purchased from the theatre box office, 257-4530, www.dwtheatre.com  or MemoryCare at 712-6094 or 771-2219, [email protected].

Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

 

 

COME SING ALONG WITH YOUR FAVORITES!

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Join us at the concert and sing along with your favorite John Denver hits!
 
 
 Take Me Home, Country Roads
 
Sunshine on my Shoulders
 
Annie's Song
 
Rocky Mountain High
 
Leavin' on a Jet Plane
 
Back Home Again
 
 
...and lots more!
"This fellow sings John Denver better than John Denver!"
 
 
I blog, therefore I am...
 
  Can't leave your loved one alone so you can attend support group meetings?

*   Can't wait until the next meeting to get input on an issue?

*        Want to hear from others having similar experiences  caring for someone with memory loss?

*        Prefer the privacy of your own home but need information and support about caregiving?

 

Visit our new blog site and...

        Post your own questions

        Make your own observations or comments

        Read what others are saying

        Share your experiences with other caregivers

 

It's free.  It's easy.  It's anonymous.

 

To access the website, go to

 

http://caregivers.memorycare.org/forum/

 

You will be asked to choose a User Name and Password and agree to the terms of the site.  After administrative approval, you will have access to the support offered.

 

For your own protection please don't use your full name or identifying information- confidentiality cannot be assured. 

 

Need help?  Contact us at [email protected].

 

It's like having a support group right in your home!

 
A  Letter from One of Our Readers --  
Dear CNN:
My mother is still living at home by herself.  I'm helping her every day with meals, and keeping up with her meds and doctor appointments.  My brother says she probably has Alzheimer's and should be in an assisted living facility, but I don't think she's there yet....How will we know?
- A Concerned Daughter
 
Dear Concerned: 
Your mother is already in assisted living -- it's YOU!
 
How well do you think she could manage on her own if you weren't coming by every day?   Look closer -- there may be many signs that could indicate a person is in the early stages of memory loss:   
  • Can she still use common household appliances like the microwave, the toaster, the TV remote, and the thermostat, or are they frequently "broken?" 
  • Has she started keeping piles of junk mail?
  • Are bills being paid on time, or being paid twice?
  • Is she wearing the same clothes again and again?
  • Is food being prepared and stored properly?
  • Does she miss appointments or social events?
  • Have her friends, neighbors, or housekeeper noticed anything unusual?
  • Does she telephone you more frequently than she used to?
 
The list goes on.  Remember, memory loss is a progressive disease.  If you are already providing daily assistance for just one or two things, that list is likely to grow.  You must decide how much more you can do.
 
If you haven't already done so, share your concerns with your mother's physician, and ask for a referral to a memory specialist if he thinks it's appropriate.  It's not too early to be visiting assisted living facilities in your area to become acquainted with their services and pricing.  You might also start planting some seeds with your mother about the future, i.e., "I know you enjoy living on your own now, but what if you need more help someday?" 
 
If an assisted living facility isn't financial feasible for your family, consider hiring a home care service a few hours a day, or enroll your mother in an adult day program one or two days a week  (for a list of area adult day centers, check on the MemoryCare website, www.memorycare.org).  Give her time to get used to these changes; they will be easier for her to accept if they are introduced to her gradually and lovingly.  
 
Be sure you have organized all the proper paperwork you need to act on behalf of your mother, including her Durable Power of Attorney and a Healthcare Power of Attorney.  Without them, you will be powerless to obtain even basic health information about her, as well as any health benefits to which she is entitled.  Don't wait; once a person exhibits signs of memory loss, soundness of mind is in question, and the right to execute legal documents is often forfeited.
 
The final and most important tip is to look after yourself.  After all, caregivers can't take care of someone else until they first take care of themselves! 

November is National Caregiver Month.  Watch for 'Taking Care of Caregivers' in the next issue of Caregiver Network News!
 

CAREGIVER CALENDAR

 
calendar               MEMORYCAREGIVERS NETWORK
                          SUPPORT GROUPS
                                      free & open to the public
     
 
                                                       FIRST TUESDAY GROUP

      Tuesday, June 1     -       12:30-2:00 p.m.

       Calvary Episcopal Church (in the library), Fletcher, N.C.

           Hendersonville Road across from Fletcher Ingles

 

                                                       THIRD TUESDAY GROUP   

Tuesday, June 15      -       12:30-2:00 p.m

   New Hope Presbyterian Church (lower level)

        3070 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, N.C.

        (across from Givens Estates)
    
                                                   EARLY MEMORY LOSS GROUP
                                  (Initial screening required.  Please call for information) 
                                        Meets concurrently with the Third Tuesday Group
 
    For more information about any of these, contact:
                           Mary Donnelly                                                Pat Hilgendorf
                           828.230.4143                                                828.645.9189         
                    [email protected]                            [email protected]
 
___________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
TWO FREE WORKSHOPS for CAREGIVERS!
 
 How to Talk to Someone with Memory Loss - 12 Do's & Don'ts for Better Conversations
Wed. November 3, 2010, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Givens Estates Performing Arts Center, Oxford Commons
2360 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Pre-register by caling 828-771-2630 or emai [email protected]
 
Validation - The Power of Empathetic Listening
 on Persons with Cognitive Impairment
Fri. November 5, 2010, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
 Heritage Hills Retirement Center Dining Room
2500 Heritage Circle, Hendersonville, NC  28791
Pre-register by calling 828-251-6622 or email [email protected]
 
Sponsored by Givens Estates, Land of Sky Regional Council, MemoryCare, and Park Ridge Health
 
___________________________________________________________________________________
  
THE ABC's OF DEMENTIA
 Presented by Heather McKay, O.T., Dementia Care Specialist
 
Tues. October 12, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Fletcher Adventist Church, 181 Fletcher Academy Drive, Fletcher, NC 28732
Register at 828-684-6444 or 687-5261
 
Sponsored by Park Ridge Home Health and Mountain Home Care
 
  ___________________________________________________________________________________

 

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

 
 
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."
                                                                                 
                                                      - Aldous Huxley
 

MemoryCare relies on charitable donations for operations.  Please consider MemoryCare in your estate planning. 

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