Alzheimer’s disease, brain health the focus of April event
To help those confronting the disease in the Philadelphia region, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America will present its free program “Alzheimer’s Disease from ‘A to Z’ ” at Independence Live on Wednesday, April 3.
“When my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I felt like Dorothy in the beginning of The Wizard of Oz — swept up in a whirlwind out of the blue, totally unprepared for the unknown world into which fate plunged our family.”
“I’m sitting here in my office with tears in my eyes with the reality of the recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis of my father.”
“I believe my wife may have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her father passed away from it. But she refuses to see doctors anymore. I’m at a loss about what to do next. Help!”
This is just a sample of what the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America hears daily from families in Philadelphia and across the country about living with this disease. With a generation of baby boomers hitting their 60s and 70s and more people living longer than ever before, Alzheimer’s is reaching epidemic proportions.
More than five million Americans are now living with Alzheimer’s, and this number is expected to nearly triple by the year 2060, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 280,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s. As those numbers grow, it’s critically important for people to have access to the information, research, and support they will need.
To help those confronting the disease in the Philadelphia region, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America will present its free program “Alzheimer’s Disease from ‘A to Z’ ” on Wednesday, April 3, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Independence Live, second floor, 1919 Market St.
This educational program is designed to help people be proactive about their brain health and get information that can help them, whether they are currently affected by Alzheimer’s or not.
Molly Fisher, LCSW, director of education and social services at the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, will discuss the signs and symptoms of the disease and other dementia-related illnesses, teach ways to communicate concerns about memory, and offer suggestions for planning and preparing a road map for aging.
Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW, associate director of social work at the Penn Memory Center, will discuss “next steps” and local resources.
Free, confidential memory screenings will also be available.
The event is open to all, including family members, caregivers, those living with the disease or who suspect a diagnosis, those who work in the field, or anyone wishing to learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and brain health. (The program is also approved by the National Association of Social Workers for two continuing-education contact hours.)
Those interested in attending the April 3 program can register by calling Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at 866-232-8484 or visiting the foundation’s website at www.alzfdn.org and clicking on the “events calendar” tab at the top of the page.
We hope to see you on April 3. If you can’t make the conference, you can get advice and support by calling our Helpline at 866-232-8484 — it’s staffed seven days a week by licensed social workers specially trained in dementia care — or connecting through our website, www.alzfdn.org.
Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. has been president and chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America since 2014.