Global Youth Service Day 2022! YSA Hershey Heartwarming Project

Wow! What a turnout!  We had volunteers in multiple states and countries handing out puzzles to students and scouts to deliver to facilities to benefit Alzheimer's communities. We are also organizing PUZZLE TIME at the facilities.

So far we distributed over 990 puzzles. We have volunteers in multiple states and in Canada participating! Tomorrow there will be even more volunteers delivering puzzles and organizing PUZZLE TIME. Stay tuned for the final amount of puzzles distributed!

Thank you so much #Hershey #YSA #GYSD2022 #kidcaregivers #multiplyinggood #SIA #puzzlestoremember #kidcaregivers #relish #thredup #springbok #ceaco

How To Bathe Your Loved One

 Getting grandma to take a bath was very very hard. Even when we had an aide to assist us. Grandma would still argue and refuse to cooperate.

TEN TIPS for showering. (I learned about them from experience and research!)

1.  Make sure the bathroom is warm. Grandma hated being cold. As people get older, they feel colder. (heated towels, a small ceramic heater, increasing the thermostat) can help.

2. Get into a routine. Do not ask IF they want to take a bath. Instead, TELL THEM that it is time to take a bath. (Try to do it at the same time every day).

3. Bathe starting top to bottom, as soon as you finish the loved one's back cover with a towel.

4. Use a shower chair! It will help avoid falls, and makes it easier.

5. Use grab bars (you may need to install them, but they are worth it, and could hold towels)

6. A portable CD player or radio playing their favorite music is a great relaxer.

7. Use a handheld shower head on a GENTLE setting. A strong spray could be painful to tender skin- only wet the area that you are washing. As soon as that part of the body is washed, dry your loved one off and cover them with a towel.

8. There are RINSE FREE Shampoo Caps that do not require water. They can be used sometimes. click here for a link for them on Amazon  (I did not know about these products when grandma was alive but I would have loved them for her!)

9. There are also NO WATER Body Wash Cleansing Foam for Elderly Care Click here

10. Finish with body lotion in a fragrance that your loved one will enjoy!

Training For Alzheimer's Caregivers

It is important for family members and professional caregivers to know about the proper way to care for people with Alzheimer's disease.

I am so glad the Alzheimer's Association is creating in-person and virtual training sessions.

I am planning to attend virtually and will report back my findings!

Thank You So Much ThredUP!

 Thank you so much thredUP for shipping us a HUGE box of beautiful puzzles for Puzzle distribution! (Love Van Gogh's Starry Night). They will be distributed to persons living with Alz for Global Youth Service Day! We gladly accept puzzle donations from companies! All donations receive a tax deduction letter, and the puzzles bring joy to the Alzheimer's communities! #kidcaregivers #GYSD22 #thredup #hersheyheartwarmingproject #hillshirefarm #multiplyinggood

A Pen Could Detect Early Signs of Alzheimer's!

 Scottish scientists created a pen that studies the movements in the hand. It could provide early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

The pen is called Manus Neurodynamica. If Alzheimer's disease is found earlier it allows doctors to create treatment plans earlier. This is very helpful because it gives persons living with Alzheimer's chances to have their abilities for a longer time. Also, screening for Alzheimer's by using a "neuromotor pen" is a easy method.  

To read about the pen 

Alzheimer's News!

How Alzheimer's disease may effect the brains of children in the future

Scientists with the University of Nebraska Medical Center are working on an Alzheimer's study. Instead of working with SENIORS they are studying children in elementary school!

The purpose of the study is to see what happens to the brain and how it functions before the disease even develops. The children are taking the same tests that adults take to measure how their memory is working. They also receive MRIs. This research will benefit the development of new treatments, therapy and earlier detection.To participate in the study click here

To register for the program click here

Global. Youth Service Day - two days away!

In addition to receiving community service hours, volunteers receive a beautiful signed award that they can frame, commemorating their service work to benefit the Alzheimer's community! Come join us for Global Youth Service Day! Grab a tote bag filled with jigsaw puzzles and deliver them to Alzheimer's facilities! #endalz #kidcaregivers #puzzletime

 

Only 4 days left until Global Youth Service Day! Let's do this! It Is Not Too Late To Join Us!

 So excited!  On April 29th-May1st as part of Youth Service America (YSA) GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY and a grant from HERSHEY we will be distributing over 1500 jigsaw puzzles to memory care facilities to benefit Alzheimer's patients in ONE day!

Volunteers are always wanted and needed. Please fill out our online form or email us at Kidcaregivers@gmail.com.

We have Puzzle Ambassadors in all 50 states and globally!

Global Youth Service Day (April 29th-May 1st)

I am so honored to be a recipient of the HERSHEY HEARTWARMING GRANT in honor Global Youth Service Day for the second year!

We have been working very hard to collect over 2000 jigsaw puzzles to be distributed to nursing homes and memory care facilities to benefit Alzheimer's patients. Our student volunteers, Scouts and Puzzle Ambassadors will not only deliver puzzles to memory care facilities but they will stay and participate in PUZZLE TIME with the residents. Stay tuned for updates! 

AARP Support Group for ADULTS

 Your parents and relatives can join this support group to help them, sponsored by AARP. My mom has always found adult support groups helpful for her. Our group is for caregiving youth (kids, tweens and teens, just for us!)

Here is the link for your parents, if they want help, too! click here

Grieving ZOOM SESSION Thursday at 4 PM on April 21, 2022

The hardest part of Alzheimer's disease is losing the part of the loved one that we knew. Our family member changes and we have to say goodbye to the way they used to be. Once you get past that part, and accept the new part, it gets to be ok.

We are having a SPECIAL ZOOM session for caregiving youth who has a loved one who passed away.

WE have a special loss. We lost the loved one TWICE. The first time when they changed because of the disease and the second time when they actually pass away and leave us for good.

Please join us on Thursday at 4 PM for a support group led by a guidance counselor so we can share our feelings of grief.

Kid Caregivers Puzzle Time ambassadors

Wonderful Afternoon With Our Ambassador and Volunteers

To view the video click here

 Here is a wonderful video showing our Puzzle Ambassadors having a blast with residents at JK House Assisted Living.

The beautiful part is that the Alzheimer's patients are AWARE that puzzle solving stimulates their brains.

Only 12 more days under Global Youth Service Day (April 29th-May 1st)!

We hope to have over 1000 volunteers delivering therapeutic Alzheimer's puzzles to memory care facilities and engaging in PUZZLE TIME! This means that thousands of Alzheimer's patients will be able to receive stimulation and companionship!

It is not too late to volunteer!  Please contact us at kidcaregivers@gmail.com Or fill out our form!

click here for the link

FREE Sudoku Puzzles!

 I found a website which offers FREE printable Sudoku Puzzles.

You can work on the Sudoku puzzles together with your family member.

Sudoku is a logic based puzzle involving a square grid with numbers in a row.

Sudoku puzzles stimulate the brain. This site has easy, and difficult puzzles.

click here for the link

GORGEOUS Puzzle Donation from NERVOUS SYSTEM, inc

 Nervous System Puzzles donated the most beautiful puzzles to our organizations. They are a small business in upstate NY.  Nervous System Puzzles shipped wooden puzzles with sturdy pieces, beautiful bright colors, and lovely themes. I cannot wait to use them in our PUZZLE TIME program!

The details are just lovely.

I practiced solving the "Herding Cats" puzzle (which is a very funny name) and to be honest, it is so pretty I want to hang it on the wall!

Here is their website: click here

Communicating Through Story and Song

 I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal.

Here is the article, click here

It is called "How to Communicate With People Suffering From Dementia".

It has research from Professor Anne Basting which helps families of Alzheimer's patients using storytelling, song and other arts.

She gives an example of working with a group of nursing home patients. She showed them a picture of a cowboy. Asked them, "What should we call him?" A resident gave the them, "Fred". Basting said, "What is his last name?" Someone yelled, "Astaire", It followed with "What does he live?" Someone said, "Oklahoma", and another resident sang, "Where the wind comes sweeping down the plain". 

That activity got the residents talking and singing.

The takeaways, stay away from "yes" and "no" questions! Have fun.

My advice: bring in pictures showing actors, singers, anything cultural from the olden days.  Gather your loved one and other residents and ask fun questions about the pictures. Remember, there are no correct answers, just joy!

Anniversary of Grandma's Passing

 Grandma passed away on April 14, 2020. It was awful because I did not have "closure". Closure means having a chance to say goodbye.

It was during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The last time I saw her was March 11th. We were not allowed to visit her in the nursing home. It was so sad and scary for all of us. 

The nursing home tried to have FACETIME appointments with grandma but she did not understand why we stopped visiting and was confused that we were on "TV" and not with her.

She did not want to talk to us on FACETIME. I get very upset when I think about it. It makes me very sad that grandma must have thought we abandoned her. This picture shows the last time I ever spoke to grandma. She was so unhappy that I could not see her in person. Sometimes she was not sure of who I was, but she loved children and wanted me to visit her. I tried to remain happy (for her.)

When we got the news that she died, I was so heartbroken. I never got to say goodbye.  

A few days after grandma died, I was out by the bay. My mom and I were crying. It was a very cloudy and foggy day by the waterfront. All of a sudden we say a beautiful swan swimming towards us from the fog. It stopped and stared at us. We stopped crying. We like to believe it was a "sign" from grandma, telling us it is ok.

African and Caribbean Life: Adult Reminiscence Coloring Book

 African Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease twice as frequently as Whites. There is no cure and the numbers are increasing.

Ebony Life publisher, Tayo Idowu published a culturally specific book to help African and Caribbean elders reminiscence about life in the olden days while coloring pictures.

Looking at pictures and recreating the special memories is a helpful part of dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

African American Alzheimer's communities are often under-represented and diagnosed at a later stage or sometimes not at all.

To order the books which include word searches and coloring books  click here

Here is a link to the article about it. click here

A Matter of the Heart

 

Vitamin K May Prevent Dementia

 Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables. A study that was presented at an Experiment Biology meeting showed that it improved spatial memory and learning ability. It also reduced depression and anxiety. 

The study was done with rats and will need to be done with human subjects. But it could be a very promising addition to help aging brains.

My advice is to ask your loved one's doctor about increasing Vitamin K.  Or, just serve your family member more foods that contain broccoli, kale, lettuce, cabbage.

I was a picky eater and grandma become one as well. But, there are yummy recipes that contain those green veggies.

Here is an easy to read article click here

April is Volunteerism Month!

 April is National Volunteer Month and what all volunteers quickly learn is this: you get back so much more than you give! My volunteerism ranges from organizing PUZZLE TIME and other activities in multiple facilities, collecting and distributing jigsaw puzzles for Alzheimer's patients, running a support group for youth members who have Alzheimer's disease, writing an informative support blog for young people. I am also a passionate Alzheimer's advocate working hard to end the disparities and inequity in the Alzheimer's communities. And I am also a fundraiser for Alzheimer's research. Along the way I've been blessed with tremendous support, inspiration and friendships. #nationalVolunteerMonth #kidcaregivers #puzzlestoremember #puzzletime #befearlessbekind #latinosagainstalzheimers #Africanamericansagainstalzheimers #endalz #CureAlzheimersfund

The Best Explanation Of Alzheimer's Disease For Younger Children

 I had a LOT of books read to me, and I read a lot of books about Alzheimer's disease.

I have never found such a perfect explanation of Alzheimer's disease and how it effects the brain than this one, by Dr. Max Wallack. He compares the loss of brain signals to not catching a baseball. (Dr. Max also drew the pictures!) It is from his amazing book, Why Did Grandma Put Her Underwear In The Refrigerator? An Explanation of Alzheimer's Disease for Children. The illustrations are wonderful. The storyline is realistic and it helps kids (and their parents) with difficult questions. It was based on experiences with my grandma and his great grams Gertrude. 

To order it click here

We Are Looking For Additional Volunteers for our HUGE Global Youth Service Day Event April 30th!

 Please email us at kidcaregivers@gmail.com or fill out the form on our website. We will award community service hours and your service work will benefit thousands of people living with Alzheimer's disease. We are trying to focus on diverse and marginalized Alzheimer's communities.

If you NEED Alzheimer's puzzles for a family member contact us!

Point of Light

 It was two years ago that I received this tremendous honor of being a Point of Light! I am super excited with how my organizations have grown in two years.

No one is too young, too old or too disadvantaged to make a difference!

#befearlessbekind #bekind #befearless #kidcaregivers #puzzletime #puzzlestoremember #pointsoflight #hasbro #sinceprudential #hershey #invischangemaker #studentsrebuild #TBT click here for the article

Click here

Lynda Everman's Quilt For Grandma

 My dear friend Lynda Everman is so amazing! She is so accomplished. Here is a list of her background:

Advocate and former caregiver, co-founder of ActivistsAgainstAlzhemer's, ClergyAgainstAlzheimer's, WomenAgainstAlzhemer's networks; UsAgainstAlzheimer's 2018 Adavocate of the Year, Editor of "Seasons of Caring: Meditations for Alzheimer's and Dementia Caregivers, and co-founder of the Alzheimer's Semi-Postal Stamp.

She is also an expert quilter! She is very involved in Project Linus - an organization that makes quilts for children who are suffering or in hospitals.

She decided to make a quilt for grandma. She asked us about grandma's favorite color (green) and other things too.

Here is a short video showing grandma with the quilt! 

I was lucky to have Lynda Everman make grandma's quilt. But you can also buy a quilt for your loved one!

Think about the colors and things that your loved one enjoyed, and find a quilt to match!

Resources!

 This link is very helpful to finding all of the resources that you will need to care for your loved one.

I am very fond of Adult Day Care!  I will post about it later.

For now, please check out this linkclick here

Alzheimer's Preventing Nasal Spray Using New Drug - Potential Good News!

 I just read an article from Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions (I am linking the article for those of you who are science kids like me!)

There is a drug called "Rifampicin" which removes the amyloid and tau. They are proteins that form sticky substances called "plaques" in the brain. It may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease. It was done in mouse studies.

By the way, Rifamipicin is an antibiotic. The same type of medication that you take when you get strep throat! It is being tested for another purpose, to help PREVENT Alzheimer's disease!

But studies show that it may harm the liver in humans.

Scientists want to find a safer way to give Rifampicin to humans without hurt their liver.

Nasal spray when tested on mice show that it is safer and more effective that taking a pill. It will take some years to research it more on humans but in the mean time it gives us a lot of HOPE for the future.

I am thinking about grandma. It would have been much easier for us to give grandma a nasal spray. Also if your loved one has trouble swallowing you can still give them the medicine!

Here is a link to the article.click here

Being A Hasbro Community Action Hero Has Been An Honor

 When I learned of the passing of Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner last year, I was reminded of the company's commitment to making the world Fearless and Kind. 

Volunteering and Joy

 The past two years have not been easy. I lost my beloved grandma on April 14, 2020. I then moved during the lockdowns.

Even though I have volunteers nationally and globally, I still make sure to volunteer with the Alzheimer's patients for Puzzle Time as well. 

I am super busy, coordinating puzzle distributions, and volunteer scheduling, and recruitment. 

However,  seeing the smiles on the faces of the patients, and interacting together, is so REWARDING. It is hard to explain.

I was beyond thrilled to return to TANYA TOWERS in the East Village in NYC. It is a very very special place and as long as I am able to visit them, I will.

I am also blessed to have such dedicated volunteers, Port Washington Ambassador Ava, and Plainview Ambassador Sofiya. They ALWAYS join me, and feel the same sense of happiness knowing that they are making the world a little brighter.

Living In The Moment

The book Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenges and Finding Moments of Joy in Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias by Elizabeth Landsverk, M.D. with Heather Millar.

It offers ways to STILL have JOY when caring for a loved one.

Here are some tips:

Alzheimer's patients want their "voice" heard and have changing needs

Alzheimer's patients have changing needs. They cannot explain that their tea is cold, or if they cannot participate in activities. Caregivers may need to understand how the disease takes away skills and do a little detective work to figure out things. Your family member is not purposely being difficult. They do not know that their brain is not working the right way.

Eat a diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and EXERCISE for 30 minutes a day!

Touch and Music Spark JOY

Even nonverbal Alzheimer's patients enjoy music because the part of the brain that likes music is different from the part of the brain that works with words and talking.

Find NEW JOY

Landsverk suggests that caregivers try to figure out simple activities that your loved one can still enjoy. It is the JOY of connecting.

Here are suggestions:

singing, going for a walk, watching children at the park (grandma LOVED doing that one!), holding hands, SOLVING PUZZLES (you know how I feel about that one!).

Grandma was born in Canada so she LOVED the Queen of England. I made sure to have plenty of books, magazines and pictures of the Queen for her! 

We need to know that Alzheimer's patients need to do activities too, just like we do!

Living In "the NOW"

Getting a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is scary. But you can still live a life with JOY. You can still have love. For example, a father who was at the office all of the time working can have more time with his family. 

Here is a link to an article about the book from AARP click here

To pre-order the book click here

Gearing Up For GLOBAL YOUTH SERVICE DAY (April 29th-May 1st 2022)

  I am heart-warmed to be selected as YOUNG HERO GRANTEE from HERSHEY, for the SECOND year!

We have BIG plans. On April 29th and May 1st we will have volunteers in NYC, Long Island, Connecticut, NJ, Maryland, and PA! They will be distributing over 2000 jigsaw puzzles IN A DAY. The puzzles will be delivered to underserved and marginalized Alzheimer's facilities that are in need of resources! We will have over 1000  volunteers! Email us if you would like to participate! kidcaregivers@gmail.com! It was an honor that Nassau Executive Laura Curran stopped by with a citation of honor! 

Hasbro Joy For All Pets

Thanks to HASBRO, I donated a bunch of Hasbro Joy For All Pets to the residents at grandma's facility! They were in love with them. 

They act like dogs and cats, and the Alzheimer's patients enjoyed them so much. It was wonderful to share them.

Please watch these residents having a blast with them! Click here

Click here for their website