The Savvy Caregiver – Alzheimer’s disease

Are you a caregiver for a family member who has Alzheimer’s disease or another, related dementia? Does that person live at home? Are you looking for ways to increase your knowledge and confidence in this role? This program is designed for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s who continue to live at home (not in a residential care setting). Classes meet for six consecutive weeks, for two hours each. Register today.

Are you a caregiver for a family member who has Alzheimer’s disease or another, related dementia? Does that person live at home? Are you looking for ways to increase your knowledge and confidence in this role?
What is the Savvy Caregiver?
This program is designed to equip family members and others for the caregiving role. Developed by the University of Minnesota, the classes will help you gain:
• A better understanding of the disease
• The skills to assess the abilities of the person with dementia
• The confidence to set and alter caregiving goals
• Strategies to manage the day-to-day care of the person with dementia, including personal care
• The skills to take better care of yourself
• Tips on how to build a positive partnership with healthcare professionals
Class information:
Savvy Caregiver is designed for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s who continue to live at home (not in a residential care setting). Classes meet for six consecutive weeks, for two hours each.

Cost:
Classes are offered free of charge through an Alzheimer’s Disease Supportive Service Program (ADSSP) grant from the Administration for Community Living.

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Campbell releases final song that deals with Alzheimer’s disease

Legendary singer-songwriter Glen Campbell, who in 2011 announced he has Alzheimer’s disease, has released his final song. “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” deals with the realities of Alzheimer’s and the losses Campbell has faced since his diagnosis. The song was written specifically for the new documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me.

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Four-year-old leads Walk to End Alzheimer’s team

Everyone has a reason to end Alzheimer’s. For 4-year-old Lilly Myers, it’s her great-grandmother, Patty Lewis (“Nanny”), one of the more than 5 million Americans living with the disease. To honor Nanny, Lilly is participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, the world’s largest event to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease — and she’s the top fundraiser for the 80-plus-person Nanny’s Team.

Everyone has a reason to end Alzheimer’s, including four-year-old Lilly Myers of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Her great-grandmother or “Nanny,” Patty Lewis, 82, is one of the more than 5 million Americans living with the disease.

To honor Nanny, Lilly is participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s^® — the world’s largest event to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease — in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. But the preschooler isn’t just walking; she’s the top fundraiser for the 80-plus-person Nanny’s Team, made up of Lewis’s family and friends.

In 2013, the inaugural season for Nanny’s Team, the then-three-year-old Lilly raised $250. “She would get excited each time we logged in [to her online participant center] and the status bar denoting her level of money had been colored in more,” said Lilly’s mother, Amy Myers.

Lilly went door to door asking for donations. Her solicitation was simple: “My name is Lilly and I am doing a charity walk for Alzheimer’s, would you like to sponsor me?”

This year, Lilly has raised more than $2,900 and set a goal of receiving a donation from every state. As the funds came in from around the country, she colored in the corresponding states on a United States map. On Aug. 16, Lilly excitedly shaded in her last state, Vermont. She also listed her international donations — those from Canada, Germany and Australia — on the side of her map.

“When asked what the money is for, Lilly will tell you that it’s for people who are sick with Alzheimer’s disease. She will tell you that sometimes Nanny forgets her name or that she already gave her hugs and kisses, but she knows that Nanny never forgets that she loves her,” Myers said. “As Nanny slips away from us, it’s heartwarming to know that Lilly is old enough that she’ll always have a memory of her time with Nanny.”

To supplement their fundraising efforts, Lilly and her cousins held a lemonade stand at festivals and farmers markets in their community. The children split more than $1,000 in proceeds, each applying a share to their individual fundraising total.

At $30,000 and counting, Nanny’s Team is the top fundraising team for the Carmichaels Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which took place on Sept. 6. All funds will help advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Each year, with the help of more than 400,000 participants at events in over 600 communities nationwide, the Association moves closer to realizing its vision of a world without Alzheimer’s disease.

To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease or to get involved with the cause, visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

Learn More

• Walk to End Alzheimer’s
• Advocate Today
• Participate in a Clinical Trial

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Special gift offer countdown – Alzheimer’s disease

Women like Jacquie Rajski provide the bulk of unpaid care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Her late mother-in-law, Josephine, was self-sufficient well into her 80s, but what started as forgetfulness eventually became severe dementia, and Josephine was moved into a nursing home.
“I visited her every morning for four years,” Jacquie recalled. “She never forgot who I was, but she didn’t recognize her three sons. I hung pictures of them as children in her room, since that’s how she remembered them.”
Over time, Josephine’s personality changes took their toll. “There were times I’d sit in my car for half an hour after seeing her because my shoulders felt so heavy,” said Jacquie. “I had to learn how to be with her. It’s a process, and it takes a lot of love.”
It also takes support. Your gift helps us provide support to the friends and family members caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, through services such as:

• 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900).
• Online and in-person support groups.
• Innovative tools and educational resources.

And for a limited time, we’ll send you our journal as a thank you for your donation. Jacquie cared for her mother-in-law, listened to her and advocated for her. We’re here to do the same for caregivers, and we need your help.
Please give as generously as you can to help enhance care for those living with the disease and for the people who love them.

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Educational programs near you

The Greater Illinois Chapter offers community and family education programs throughout the year. These programs are geared for family members, diagnosed individuals, and interested members of the community. Many of these programs are free of charge, but some conferences and workshops do have a registration fee attached to them. Register today!

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