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http://www.alzheimers-illinois.org/enewsletter/december2012/kick_for_cures.asp

It was a day of kicking and punching, but no one got hurt.
In fact several were helped during Kick for Cures. The annual event of the Illinois Shotokan Karate Booster Club raises tens of thousands of dollars for several nonprofits, including $6,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter.
Held in August, the event calls upon members of the karate organization, which serves 75 park districts for students, age 4 to adult, in park district and community center programs throughout metropolitan Chicago, to collect sponsorship donations and gather together for an hour of kicking and other martial arts techniques. More than 500 people of all ages participated in this year’s Kick for Cures.
Phil Hampel is the president of the Illinois Shotokan Booster Club — a nonprofit corporation that supports karate and the activities of the Illinois Shotokan Karate Clubs.
“Kick for Cures started out in the mid-80s to support a girl who had a brain tumor. She needed an experimental surgery and if the family did it, they would lose their home, so we raised money to keep them in their home,” he said. “After that, the event was for internal scholarship purposes and then in the 90s, it was a Kick Against Cancer and benefitted a few cancer organizations but we realized our community was affected by more than just cancer and so we expanded it to include several other causes.”
Organizations include Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, among others.
“We look for charities that are reputable and we want to make sure the money is going to research,” Hampel said.
The Alzheimer’s Association thanks the club for its generous donation!

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http://www.alzheimers-illinois.org/enewsletter/december2012/captured_memories.asp

Grandmothers, grandfathers, great aunts and uncles – more often than not these are the people who keep their family’s history. They are the ones who know where they came from and how life has changed for the generations that have followed.
This past is precious, and yet so vulnerable. Alzheimer’s disease can rob people of their identities and their memories. A diagnosis can be devastating, but it can also act as an opportunity for family members to gather and record their past so it can never be lost.
Ray Johnson is the representative for the Association of Professional Genealogists Chicago Area Chapter and has conducted genealogical research for nearly 30 years. In addition to investigating his own family history, Johnson takes on clients and teaches a continuing education class for adults at Lyons Township High School in La Grange.
“I got started early at 18,” said Johnson of Brookfield. “In classes I teach, people are always saying ‘I wish I was interested in this at 16. I wish I had done this when my great grandparents were alive.’”
Indeed, Johnson does recommend that anyone interested in learning about and preserving their personal history start right away by speaking with their oldest family member. This initial step is sometimes met with resistance as people feel their older relatives would rather not “dredge stuff up” but Johnson’s own experiences have shown him that most people enjoy the chance to recall the past.
“My grandmother wasn’t a big talker, but one time, I was speaking to her about her past and she told me she didn’t think our last name was originally Johnson. She remembered being a little girl and someone telling her to never forget her name,” Johnson said. “Her own daughter was like ‘You never told me that.’ She responded, ‘You never asked.’”
Johnson has created a list of open-ended questions to ask family members, but the best interviews just flow naturally.
“It should be a conversation,” said Johnson, adding that it’s up to the individual whether or not they videotape or use an audio recording device during the interview.
Danielle Dodson, a clinical supervisor of Care Navigation, a service offered by the Alzheimer’s Association Greater, Illinois Chapter that provides counseling appointments with a licensed social worker, sees the benefit in chronicling a personal history not just for generations to come, but for a person with memory loss.
“It can be empowering for the person with dementia that, even though they may not be able to talk about or remember things at a later date, they can pass down that personal history now,” Dodson said.

A recording of the person can also help to inform the approach of a care provider once the disease progresses to a state at which a person may require at-home care or relocation to a nursing home.
“Maybe someone was a homemaker, so they can be involved in helping set the table,” Dodson suggested.
In working with people who have Alzheimer’s, Dodson has become familiar with StoryCorps, an independent nonprofit that allows people to share their stories. These stories are then recorded on a free CD to share and preserved at the Library of Congress. For the last six years, the organization’s Memory Loss Initiative has encouraged those with cognitive impairment to talk about their past.
While a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s can present a very real timeline when it comes to recording a personal history, the budding genealogist should not neglect to write down his or her own story, Johnson said. Even seemingly mundane details of everyday life have merit and could be exciting for future generations to uncover.
To delve into a family’s history even further, Johnson suggests looking into the websites ancestry.com and heritagequest.com. Chicago Tribune’s website, chicagotribune.com, is also a wealth of information as archives date back to the mid-1800s, though Johnson is quick to point out that “not everything is on the Internet.” Other sources for information include local libraries and historical societies.
Click here for a full list of historical and genealogical online sources provided by Johnson.
Once files and documents start to accumulate, Johnston suggests installing a computer program, like the one available at legacyfamilytree.com, to keep track of everything.
To get the whole family involved, check out the website generationsbiz.com, which has a series of genealogy books geared toward children.
For more information about Johnson, go to historycop.com.

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The Alzheimer’s Association,® Reason to Hope is a powerful 60-minute fundraising luncheon and program on Alzheimer’s disease. Though there is no cost to attend the luncheon, all Table Hosts and their guests will be asked at the conclusion to support the Alzheimer’s community by making a One-Time gift or Multi-Year pledge to the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter. The goal for the event is to spread our message into the communities we serve and raise funds for the critical work we do nationwide.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Reason to Hope is a powerful 60-minute fundraising luncheon and program on Alzheimer’s disease. Though there is no cost to attend the luncheon, all Table Hosts and their guests will be asked at the conclusion to support the Alzheimer’s community by making a One-Time gift or Multi-Year pledge to the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter. The goal for the event is to spread our message into the communities we serve and raise funds for the critical work we do nationwide.
We are proud to announce that Doug Cook, President and Owner of Feldco, Windows, Siding and Doors, will be our 2013 Chicago Reason to Hope Event Chair. Thank you, Doug Cook and Feldco for supporting the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter.
In 2013, our Chapter will be hosting two Reason to Hope luncheons on the following dates:

4th Annual Chicago Reason to Hope
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Noon-1pm.
Union League Club of Chicago 65
West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois 60603
Click here to view and download the FAQ for Chicago Reason to Hope Table Hosts.

2nd Annual Oak Brook Reason to Hope
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Noon-1pm.
Hyatt Lodge at McDonald’s Campus
2815 Jorie Boulevard
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
Click here to view and download the FAQ for Oak Brook Reason to Hope Table Hosts.

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http://www.alzheimers-illinois.org/enewsletter/december2012/support_group.asp

Ask Michael Danesha what makes a good Alzheimer’s support group facilitator and he’ll list three things.
“A desire to help, knowledge of dementia and the time to devote to training,” said the Wilmette resident who has served as a facilitator for an Alzheimer’s Association® support group for seven years.
Alzheimer’s Association support groups are regularly scheduled in-person or virtual gatherings of people with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders, their family, friends or caregivers. In the group Danesha leads, caregivers meet monthly at the Wilmette Public Library to learn about resources for those affected by Alzheimer’s, share issues relating to dementia and caregiving and simply spend time with others who know what they’re going through.
“I’m an advocate in caring for yourself,” said Danesha, who has acted a caregiver for an aunt and an uncle with Alzheimer’s disease and has found himself drawn to working with older adults, even attaining a Master’s degree in family caregiving. “If you’re not healthy or happy, you’re not providing the best care.”
The Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter is currently seeking people, who, like Danesha, want to provide support for those caring for a loved one. Prerequisites include at least three years’ experience in dementia care — personal or professional, solid knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, the ability to take an online course and commit at least a year of service to the group, understanding of and willingness to adhere to the Association’s policy concerning support groups and a willingness to undergo a criminal background check.
“Alzheimer’s Association support group facilitators are valued volunteers who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge,” said Stephanie Herro, Manager of Support Services for the Greater Illinois Chapter. “Volunteers can be individuals who work professionally in dementia care, but many of our facilitators are or have been family caregivers themselves. We look for individuals who have experience with dementia as a family member or health care professional and a desire to provide a safe and supportive environment for current caregivers in their community.”
The Wilmette group usually sees about 12 attendees per month, with two-thirds returning regularly.
In addition to leading support groups, Danesha is a facilitator and instructor for the course Powerful Tools for Caregivers, an additional resource for anyone who is fulfilling one of the most taxing roles there is in life, he said.

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