New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
HopeHealth’s Walk for Alzheimer’s provides funding for essential services for those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, healthcare professionals and agencies. Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services offers assessment, individual and group counseling, education, telephone support, respite care and much more. Formerly known as Alzheimer’s Services of Cape Cod & the Islands, the organization is now part of the HopeHealth family of services.The service area includes Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, Suffolk, Plymouth and parts of Middlesex counties.
Morgan McKenzie and her family will have a big team for the second year in a row at the HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s. Her Nana battled the disease for a long time before succumbing to it a couple of years ago. As a result, the family is willing to do anything they can to help support the cause.
“If my Nana had received the caregiver support services that Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services provides, it would have taken a great weight off my family’s shoulders,” said McKenzie. “Everyone knows someone who’s been touched by this nasty disease. This walk is an awesome experience. It’s also a great opportunity to come together with other caregivers and people with the illness for a common cause. We’re going to have a big team with kids, dogs, friends and the whole family together for a beautiful day on the Cape Cod Canal.”
You can make a difference in the lives of those battling this disease. When you walk, you help thousands across eastern Massachusetts receive essential care and support services. Ninety percent of the HopeHealth’s Alzheimer’s and dementia services are provided free of charge. Walking for Alzheimer’s on May 18, 2014 makes life better for thousands of local families. Sign up today at HopeHealthCo.org/Walk.
According to the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders State Plan, every sixty-nine seconds one American develops Alzheimer’s disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States; the fifth leading cause of death for those 65 and older; and one in nine people age 65 and older has the disease. Most care for people with Alzheimer’s is delivered at home by a family member and they often seek community supportive services. Family caregivers often suffer from both physical and mental exhaustion.
“This event is our largest fundraiser to support dementia and Alzheimer’s programs in the community,” said David Rehm, president & CEO of HopeHealth. “We invite everyone in the community to join us. Better access to, and knowledge of, the available services enable caregivers to provide a higher quality of care to their loved ones as the disease progresses.”
Walk
The three-mile HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s takes place on Sunday, May 18, 2014 and begins at Buzzards Bay Park at the Cape Cod Canal. There is still time to register to participate as an individual or a team. Visit HopeHealthCo.org/Walk to sign up. For questions about the 22nd HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s, please contact (508) 957-0254 or Walk@HopeHealthCo.org.
Services in the Community
The Walk provides funding for essential services provided by Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services in the community. They include:
- The helpline provides reliable information and support for people with memory loss, caregivers, healthcare professionals and the public.
- Free memory screenings which may prove very helpful in encouraging further diagnostic screening as early as possible.
- Hope HouseCalls Specialized Dementia Service is designed to address many of the challenges caregivers experience on a daily basis. Services include: care plan development, education regarding the disease and support in the development of a long-term care plan.
- CARES provides an opportunity for people with memory impairment and their care partners to participate in two separate support groups—held simultaneously. One group provides information, guidance and respite to caregivers, while the other group provides conversation and socialization for those with memory impairment.
- The Caregiver Support Group is a structured gathering of family, caregivers, loved ones and friends who develop a mutual support system that can help maintain their own health and well-being, and assist them in learning ways to provide optimal care for the person with dementia.
- The Young Onset Support Group is designed to be a trusting, safe environment in which individuals who have been diagnosed before the age of 65 can come together and share their common experiences, feelings and thoughts.
- The Arts & Conversation group can act as a gateway to past stories and memories as visual stimulation through art helps stimulate memory and enhance conversation.
- Dementia 101 provides a basic overview of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and covers information relative to costs, research dollars and incidence rates.
- Dementia Certificate Program Level I and Level II are designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of professionals working with individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
- Two conferences are held each year, the Annual Spring Caregiver Conference in March and the Annual Dementia & Alzheimer’s Awareness Conference in November.
