Thank the people who matter most – Alzheimer’s disease


Thank the people who matter most – Alzheimer’s disease

I always thought I would recognize the signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially because my mother showed symptoms before she passed away. Yet, I was stunned when my doctor gave me a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Life as I knew it was forever changed.

Since then, I made a cross-country move to be closer to my brother, Jim. His presence and friendship quickly became the best gifts I could ever ask for.
I know that someday I may not be able to thank him for playing two incredible roles in my life — my brother and my care partner. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for me.
Today, I encourage you to take a moment and tell someone about the impact that they’ve made in your life. Go one step further and make a donation in their honor to the Alzheimer’s Association. Whatever message you choose to send, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to thank those to those who matter most.

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Have you seen our digital magazine? – Alzheimer’s disease

Have you seen our digital magazine? – Alzheimer’s disease

The winter edition of our quarterly magazine, Impact, is now available in print and also as an interactive digital publication. Loaded with videos, photo slideshows, links and more, Impact digital is a close look at the latest in Alzheimer’s disease as well as everything we are doing to serve individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and advance our vision of a world without Alzheimer’s.

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Senior Spotlight Hip Injury Leads to New Life for Woman, 108

Senior Spotlight
Hip Injury Leads to New Life for Woman, 108

A hip injury brought about by a fall caused Helen Turner to move to a senior living facility, where the former teacher has found new friends and new pastimes, including playing percussion and knitting scarves. Click here to view article.

Speaking to Helen Turner, it is easy to forget that she is approaching her 108th birthday. Slowing down does not seem to be on her agenda.

Born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1907, Helen grew up on a farm. She attended the Maryland State Normal School, now known as Towson University, for two years to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. After graduation she continued her education through summer classes and eventually received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University. She got a job teaching fourth and fifth grade but feels that she really found the career that fit her best when she was asked to teach first grade. It was the start of a fulfilling career that would span 37 years. Helen says one of the best parts of being a teacher is seeing former students. During a recent trip to the doctor’s office she was delighted to run into somebody she taught in the first grade and see how they’re doing now.

In 1938, Helen married Arthur Lewis Turner and they had two children, Arthur Turner and Nancy Mellon. Her husband died in 1986.

In her lifetime Helen has seen the world change quite a lot, but one thing that has stayed the same is her love of making new friends. After a fall left her with a broken hip a little over three years ago, Helen moved into Brandywine Senior Living at Brandall Estate, in Linwood, N.J. Recovering from her injury was a scary ordeal but, characteristically, Helen made the best of it and has flourished in her new home.

Helen doesn’t have a clue as to why she’s lived to such an exceptional age, but a long-time friend was quick to point out her positive attitude. She is grateful for all the new friends she has made and they are grateful for her. “We have such fun,” Helen says, recounting all the activities she and a few close friends participate in. She loves getting manicures and playing Rummikub, bingo and trivia games. She particularly looks forward to Fridays when she can play a percussion instrument of her choice at the drum beat club and then attend happy hour in the evening. Brandywine keeps her life interesting with events like the “Love Boat”-themed bash that Helen attended with her friends.

Crafts have always been a big part of Helen’s life. She loves to sew and proudly remembers the time she made a top coat. She also used to love making rag rugs, a skill she had learned from her mother, but she stopped making those when she was 103 in favor of knitting. At Brandywine she is known for being a prolific knitter and has made more than 50 scarves for friends and staff. Even the high school students who visit Brandywine have received scarves from Helen. “People have started bringing me wool,” she says, recounting the many mornings she spends knitting in her room. A friend ordered 50 “Handmade by Helen Turner” tags for Helen to sew onto her scarves. “We had to order more,” Helen’s daughter, Nancy, says with a laugh.

The New England Centenarian Study works with centenarians from all over the world to discover the secrets of aging well. If you know someone who may qualify for the study, call 1-888-333-6327, ext. 1, email stacy@bu.edu or visit www.bumc.bu.edu/centenarian.

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CSA Spotlight Meet CSA Spotlight, Linda Holloway

CSA Spotlight
Meet CSA Spotlight, Linda Holloway

My “song” has always been embellished by the melodies of elders. My life continues to be blessed by the presence of elders. I was thrilled to learn of the course of study to earn the CSA certification. It provided so much information, and it has enabled me to assist elders and family members of elders in life-changing decisions. I’ve been able to share the information with my own family and close friends. Click here to view article.

As a senior now myself, I am able to see life as a song, with each experience and each relationship being melodies intricately interwoven into our own masterpiece composition. Twenty years ago, two friends and I co-founded Bessie’s Hope as a legacy to my grandmother. Because of driving down to spend day and night with her in a Texas nursing home, I recognized that communities need to reach into the nursing home world and embrace the elders, who statistically speaking, are largely the “forgotten” population in our culture.

Co-founders, Sharron Brandrup and Marge Utne, joined me in my passion, and we created a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to enhance the lives of nursing home elders and to bring generations together in mutually rewarding relationships through honoring the human spirit and by providing life-enriching volunteer opportunities for youth groups, families, individuals, businesses and civic organizations.

Youth and adult volunteers receive our training, which provides education and communication skills that enable them to have meaningful interaction with elders of all levels of cognitive functioning, including those with advanced Alzheimer’s Diseases. All our programs are of the highest quality and integrity, with group visits being organized and structured to provide the fertile ground for the cultivation of beautiful relationships between the elders and our volunteers of all ages.

Our largest number of volunteers is that of youth participants, from preschool to high school and college. A very high percentage of our youth come from “at-risk youth” organizations and residential treatment centers for troubled teens. Respect, compassion and the art of listening are alive and well in the intergenerational work of Bessie’s Hope. The at-risk youth, like the elders, need to feel valued and needed. Through participation in Bessie’s Hope, both age groups receive the recognition of their value. Both populations also experience a sense of purpose. Our goal is to have affiliates in other states. Bessie’s Hope is the only organization with the focus that directly impacts this statistic. My “song” continues to be embellished by the melodies of elders. My life continues to be blessed by the presence of elders.

Rewinding 68 years, my mother married right after high school, and a year later, learning he was going to be a dad, my Marine father decided that was not for him and left to go back to active duty. Throughout my formative years, it was as though I had two mothers, thus, the very close relationship with my grandmother. Fond early memories include being on the next door neighbors’ porch, where the elders played dominoes, talking to my great-grandmother, and church on Sundays, where elder women were my teachers.

While in high school, I began singing and playing musical instruments professionally in a band that performed in Texas and neighboring states. That continued through college, earning my Music Education Degree, then—“on the road.” For over 25 years, I made my living as a professional musician, performing with bands and duos and as a piano bar entertainer at reknowned venues, such as The Stockyard Restaurant in Nashville and Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans. I also added traveling throughout the country to present “Healing with Sound and Music” workshops.

Performing, composing, studying, teaching—life was all about music— yet, there were always elders and nursing homes beckoning, as part of my “song.” Wherever I was, I volunteered as a musician in nursing homes, and I inquired to find an elder who had no visitors, so I could “adopt” this person. This was a precursor to one of the volunteer programs of Bessie’s Hope.

While finishing another degree in music to earn the credentials, Board Certified Music Therapist, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. This “pulled” me into a special focus with this population within my music therapy studies. This special focus also exists within the work of Bessie’s Hope. Educating volunteers about this disease and assisting them in feeling comfortable and confident in relating to those who have the disease is a priority within Bessie’s Hope.

Then, while working on a Master of Humanities Degree, my grandmother had to be admitted to a Texas nursing home. One day, a very clear, yet inaudible voice began repeating, “Bring them together—the young and the old.” During this mandate from God, I could see our work unfold in my mind’s eye.

My master’s thesis was a musical, for which I was writing the script, the music and the orchestration. Asking the committee for special permission, my Bessie’s Hope co-founder, Sharron, became co-writer of the musical, because the script and songs were about the work we had been doing. The musical is about a group of children who become friends with a group of nursing home elders… art imitating life. It has been produced only twice for three-week runs, but all audiences were captivated and moved to spontaneous standing ovations after each performance. It is still very timely, and I hope that it will soon have a life of its own.

My “song” has always been embellished by the melodies of elders. My life continues to be blessed by the presence of elders. I was thrilled to learn of the course of study to earn the CSA certification. It provided so much information, and it has enabled me to assist elders and family members of elders in life-changing decisions. I’ve been able to share the information with my own family and close friends. “CSA” fits so well with the Bessie’s Hope purpose of empowerment of the elders.

Although Bessie’s Hope serves a few thousand youth and elders each year, and has for 20 years, it has been such a well-kept secret. This makes fundraising difficult, because it is not a large, well-established nonprofit. If you would like to be on our “e-blast” and “e-newsletter” list, as well as on our mailing list, please contact us. On April 2, our first event for 2015 will be “An Evening of Music and Magic, a great event! This year, we will also have our 3rd annual motorcycle event, stopping at Denver nursing homes, where the elders get to take a spin. In the fall, is our 12th annual Intergenerational Bowl-a-thon, with bowlers from 2 to 102!

Do you want to be on a fun committee, a board member, volunteer in a program with the elders, or contribute financially?

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Lifestyle Trends Finding Your Purpose in Life

Lifestyle Trends
Finding Your Purpose in Life

In the past few years, research has touted the benefits of having a purpose in life, physically as well as emotionally. Two recent studies show that having a purpose in life increased longevity. But how do you find meaning in life? Where do you start? Click here to view article.

In the past few years, research has touted the benefits of having a purpose in life, physically as well as emotionally. Two recent studies show that having a purpose in life increased longevity. But knowing is one thing and doing is another. Where do you find meaning, and how do you start?

In 2005, Rev. Richard Joyner, the pastor of the Conetoe Family Life Center in rural North Carolina, came to the realization that he had presided over too many funerals at a church of just 300 members. In one year alone, 30 congregants younger than 32 years old had died.

A lot of the deaths were health related—poor diets, no exercise—but poverty also played a role. After 25 years of being a minister, he realized that his spiritual mission needed to address the mental, physical and even economic health of his church members. So at age 52, Joyner started the Conetoe Family Life Center. One of its projects is a community garden, and young people sell the produce they grow and distribute honey from the beehives they manage to low-income residents. The revenue they earn goes to school supplies and scholarships. At the same time, the whole community is learning the value of healthy food and lifestyle. As dietary practices have changed, people have lost weight, emergency room visits for primary health care are down, and the number of deaths has decreased. Kids are heading to college, the military and the workforce.

Joyner is one of six recipients of the Purpose Prize, an annual contest that recognizes—and rewards—people age 60 and over who are making a positive social impact. The winners receive a total of $300,000 in cash prizes. Now in its ninth year, the Purpose Prize is a project of www.Encore.org, a national nonprofit that is encouraging people in midlife and beyond to use their skills and experience to improve the world.

“While many see our aging society as a problem, we view it as a solution,” Encore states. “Those in and beyond midlife represent a powerful source of talent with the accumulated skills, experience and wisdom to tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges. By embracing this unique opportunity, we can transform a zero-sum prediction into a win-win strategy, creating a better future for generations to come.”

Health Benefits

In addition to helping the world, having a purpose can lengthen your life, according to research. A recent study looked at data from the Midlife in the United States project, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging. Researchers asked more than 6,000 people questions that gauged positive and negative emotions. They observed how people responded to statements like “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them.” Fourteen years after responding to the questions, people who had reported a greater sense of purpose and direction in life were more likely to have outlived their peers. (NPR blog). In fact, people with a sense of purpose had a 15 percent lower risk of death, compared with those who said they were more or less aimless.

In another study, a team from the University of Michigan found that older adults with a strong sense of purpose in life may be more likely to get health screenings such as colonoscopies and mammograms than those who lack such a purpose.

Charles Fletcher, another Purpose Prize winner, found his purpose in life after retiring at the age of 58 and volunteering at a Dallas-area equine therapy center for children with disabilities. Although he found the work rewarding, Fletcher wanted to focus more on healing as well as including those who couldn’t afford the sometimes expensive therapy. After researching innovative equine therapy methods, talking to medical specialists and learning about brain development, he launched SpiritHorse in Corinth, Texas. Today, his nonprofit employs 20 salaried instructors and provides hour-long therapy sessions to roughly 400 riders every week at his Texas ranch alone, serving children with disabilities, at-risk youth, battered women and wounded veterans—all at no cost to them. Since 2001, when he first started his operation, his enterprise has helped more than 5,000 people.

Where Do You Start?

Many of us don’t have the grander vision of Fletcher or Joyner or the means to implement such ambitious projects. Especially for those who have always focused on working and survival, how do you switch gears?

“Throughout my middle years, I never questioned what held meaning in my life,” writes Ed Merck, a former software entrepreneur and chief financial officer who retired at 63 (in Next Avenue). “The scaffolding of my identity as a successful college Chief Financial Officer and owner of a thriving software company was built into the job. . . . Then, once I moved over to the other side of full-time work, the picture became less clear. Take the job away and who was I? . . . I could also sense that new personal capacities were opening up for me, which could change my sudden sense of loss to a sense of gain. I felt something stir within me: The potential of moving forward with vitality and purpose. Yet I had only the slightest awareness of how to construct such a new reality.”

Merck wrote a book, Sailing the Mystery, about his experience in finding purpose. He writes that, because we’re all different, we need to “identify the activities that provide you with a sense of purpose.” For some, that might be working with others or being immersed in nature. It helps to “create a brief statement that ties together the interests that provide you with a sense of purpose.” Having a core phrase, such as “Do everything for the benefit of others,” can work as a mantra or guiding light.

Merck recommends you “strengthen your inner landscape,” which can involve more reflection and contemplation, using tools such as meditation or yoga. Similarly, “learn to be still. I often think the key to fulfillment in one’s later years is not about finding purpose; rather, we need to let it find us. Sounds easy, but it’s not, since implicit in that notion is learning a whole new way of embracing life.” Finally, “explore what it means to create,” which he sees as discovering ourselves through art, music, writing, cooking, conversation or just sitting quietly.

Dr. Susan Biali, who teaches a course on finding purpose in life, offers questions to ask yourself (fromPsychology Today):

  • What do you love to do that you would do even if you don’t get paid for it?
  • What do other people say you’re really good at?
  • What is the one thing you want to experience, or do, or accomplish, before you die, so that on your last day on earth you feel satisfied and have no regrets in that area?

Seattle resident Judy Pickens would probably answer the first question by talking about her volunteer work. Using hands-on training, she works to save salmon by having her students raise salmon eggs and then release them into local streams (Seattle Times). At the same time, she teaches her students about ferns and bugs in the park surrounding the creek.

Over 24 years, Pickens has pushed through improvements for the creek habitat and helped run the salmon-release program for 10 elementary schools. “I want to be known more for my motivation than for what I did,’’ she says. “I believe in the message of the Gospels ‘to do.’ I’m obligated to do for others.” Sources

“Doing unto others: In helping, volunteers serve a higher purpose,” Dec. 18, 2013, Seattle Times

“A ‘Purpose in Life’ May Extend Yours,” HealthDay

“Helping You Find Your Life Purpose,” Nov. 8, 2013, Psychology Today

“6 Outstanding Social Innovators,” Oct. 27, 2014, AARP

“5 Tips to Find Meaning and Purpose in Later Life,” Aug. 27, 2014, Next Avenue

“People Who Feel They Have a Purpose in Life Live Longer,” July 28, 2014, NPR blog

How to Find a Purposeful Life

Don’t know where to begin? Grab a piece of paper and pencil.

Make a list of the things you do for fun, or that you really enjoy. Imagine you’re a billionaire with no worries about money, how would you choose to spend your time? This list is of your passions; the things that you love to do, or would do simply for the pleasure they bring you.

Write down the names of people you admire and why you admire them. When you’re done, look at the list and know that what you appreciate about others is also in you. Adopt these good qualities of others as a way of inspiring your own actions.

Make a list of your natural talents. These can be an eye for detail, a great sense of humor or the ability to focus intently. These skills can be used in service of our life purpose.

Keep in mind that often we find our purpose along the way. Some people don’t realize their purpose until they look back and see the pattern of their lives. Finally, it’s normal to feel scared when stepping into your life purpose. Just think of the fear as the energy you need to take the next step.

(Adapted from “How to Find Your Life’s Purpose,”wikiHow)

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