Guest Spot on Alzheimer's Speaks Radio Show JUNE 7th at 2 PM!

Click here for the link to the radio show

I am very excited to be a guest on Alzheimer's Speaks Radio! Please tune in on June 7th at 2 PM if you get a chance!

 

RILEY'S WAY Call To Kindness Fellow 2022

 Thank you so much for this honor!  Lot's of amazing plans for this year! 

Very Cool Technology For People With Dementia!

Click link to watch the video!

https://fb.watch/dfl4anm9gv/

How To Talk To People With Alzheimer's disease

 

Very helpful and informative tips! Remember to go into the Alzheimer's World. You cannot bring a person with dementia into YOUR reality. You have to go into their reality!

Rosalynn Carter's 4 Types of Caregivers!

 

"End Of School" ZOOM Session JUNE 24th!

Come join us! We can share our caregiving tips. Help one another, share our summer plans, and brainstorm ways to help care for our loved ones who are living with Alzheimer's disease!

 

PUZZLE TIME at SAGE Facilities in NYC JUNE 4TH

SAGE is Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders.

Elderly people face the risk of social isolation. Unfortunately, LGBTQ + older adults face it even more! They are twice as likely to be single, and 3 to 4 times less likely to have children. They often do not have families who care for them. They are lonely, and if they are living with Alzheimer's disease, it is very scary to not have family caring for you.

We want to reach communities with LGBT older adults living with Alzheimer's disease.

Currently we plan to donate therapeutic Alzheimer's puzzles to SAGE  Centers in NYC.

We need volunteers to deliver puzzles and participate in PUZZLE TIME for the following communities:

Edie Windsor SAGE Center

305 Seventh Avenue
15th Floor
New York, NY 10001

SAGE Center Harlem

220 West 143rd Street
New York, NY 10030

SAGE Center Bronx at Crotona Pride House

1784 Prospect Ave
Bronx, NY 10457

We are coordinating the logistics of PUZZLE TIME, and volunteers would need to show proof of vaccination and boosters, and wear masks at all times.

To deliver puzzles only masks are required.

We are delivering 400 puzzles to underserved SAGE communities on JUNE 4TH. Come join us!

Students will earn community service hours and we will have a few fun goodies in store!

Please email us at Kidcaregivers@gmail.com to volunteer!

The CHANGE Act (S.1692/H.R. 3354)

Click here to write to Congress

I have gone in the past to Washington DC to speak to my representatives about the bipartisan bill that would provide the tools to accurately detect Alzheimer's in its earliest stages, accelerate progress towards prevention strategies, early diagnosis, disease-modifying treatments, and hopefully a cure!

Congress needs to hear from ALL of us.

PLEASE send your message to your Senator and Representative and let us continue to push for the passage of this critical bill.

Please click the link to email your representatives. I suggest that you write about your story to make it more personal. But you do not have to do that. There is a template to use.

 

ONE HOUR is all it takes to help persons living with Alzheimer's disease!

Would you like to start PUZZLE TIME in your area?  We are always looking to expand!  Please spend ONE HOUR to enrich the lives of people living with Alzheimer's disease!

Here are the 3 EASY steps:

1) Email us at kidcaregivers@gmail.com or fill out a form online. We will find a facility for you!

2) Gather 4-5 friends/scouts/family members

3) We will ship a box of special Alzheimer's puzzles for PUZZLE TIME with the residents!

Community service hours are awarded and the Alzheimer's community benefits greatly!

Girl Scout Troop 1995

So grateful to Sandra an extraordinary Girl Scout troop leader (Troop 1995 - Commack, NY) for all of her hard work helping to coordinate a huge PUZZLE TIME event! Now that the summer is approaching we will have LOTS of outdoor PUZZLE TIME! (It helps with COVID-1i safety precautions and it is fun). Who does not like to solve puzzles outdoors in the fresh air? Stay tuned for. updates! #rileyswayfoundation #multiplyinggood #kidcaregivers #springbok #ceacopuzzles #puzzlestoremember #ENDALZ #puzzlestime #girlscoutsofamerica 

Riley's Way Call To Kindness Fellow

 

This week’s Kind Leader Spotlight shines on Hailey Richman!

Taking her own family’s experience with Alzheimer’s and turning it into an opportunity to support others in similar circumstances, Hailey started Kid Caregivers, an organization that supports and empowers children who are acting as caregivers. She partners with Puzzles To Remember, an organization that provides puzzles to facilitate care for people with Alzheimer's disease.

“I want all kids to know that, don't think just because you're a kid that you can't make a difference”

We celebrate her for empowering kids and adults alike to act with compassion and creating a #kindertomorrow!

Check out the Kid Caregivers website to learn more:
http://www.kidcaregivers.com/

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2022 CALL FOR KINDNESS FELLOWS (including me :-) )

Alzheimer's Speaks Radio - June 7th at 2 PM

Ms Le Bey has been recognized as the #1 online influencer for Alzheimer's!

 I will be a guest on Lori Le Bey's Alzheimer's Speaks Radio show on Monday, June 7th at 2 PM. I am so honored and excited to be on her show! Please tune in if you have a chance!

Click here for a link to her show

Puzzle Mania Fundraiser

Who wants to wear a crown for being a puzzle champion?

"PUZZLE MANIA" is a jigsaw puzzle competition to raise funds for PuzzlesToRemember and KidCaregivers

The jigsaw puzzle competition will have teams of up to 4 persons each. Teams will sit with the same 500-piece puzzle and compete to finish the puzzle first. The winning team will be honored with a trophy. Second and third place teams will be acknowledged and rewarded as well.

Teams could be solo, two people or four people.

The fee to participate will be $25 per person or $100 per team. Organizations and businesses are welcome to sponsor teams if they wish.

This event is fun and light hearted. It will be family-friendly, and children ages 10 are older will be welcomed as team members.

The Event will be held from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

We are looking for 25 people to act as table hosts and recruit their own four-person teams from friends, neighbors or family members!

Ticket prices will be tax-deductible.

*If you would like to participate but do not have time to recruit your own team or seek one out, let us know and we will do our best to find a table for you.

Date is TBD. It will take place in June or September at Plainview Old Bethpage High School. 

If you would like to host a PUZZLE MANIA event in your neighborhood, please email us. We can help you! It is lots of fun!

Email Hailey at kidcaregivers@gmail.com 

The Last Generation: A Dialogue on Intergenerational Caregiving and Advocacy Alzheimer's Disparities Forum

Since the age of 10, (I am now 15) my volunteers and I have been working hard to close the gap in resources for marginalized persons living with Alzheimer's disease. Youth members who have to act as caregivers to family members with Alzheimer's disease fall into that group. I had 2 missions when starting Kid Caregivers: to provide support to caregiving youth, and to provide activities to help benefit the Alzheimer's community. I learned a lot about caregiving for family members. PUZZLE TIME helps both the young people (many of whom are caregivers themselves, and the elders who solve them). Here is a video where I am addressing an audience at the NATIONAL ALZHEIMER'S SUMMIT. (I appear at 31:00 in the video). However the entire video is worth watching. 

Click here to view the video

PUZZLE TIME for Elderly LGBT individuals With Alzheimer's Disease

My grandparents had a family friend who was gay. "Jack" was the sweetest man. He was from France, and was an artist and dancer. He painted a beautiful painting of a famous bridge in a park for my grandparents. He always had fun stories and had the best accent!

Unfortunately, when he began to forget things, it was very scary.  Jack did not have children. His nieces and nephews were in France. He did not live near us. When he developed Alzheimer's, he was placed into a nursing home. He was very lonely. He lived far away from us, but we visited him occasionally. 

I would like our PUZZLE TIME  program to reach marginalized elderly persons living with Alzheimer's disease. who are from LGBT communities. They often do not have family members and companionship. Jack had my family and we tried our best to be there for him.

We are now shipping Alzheimer's puzzles to SAGE communities, and will be recruiting student volunteers and Girl Scouts to participate in PUZZLE TIME. Our hope is to provide companionship and stimulating activities for the LGBT Alzheimer's communities.

SAGE stands for Advocacy & Services for LGBT Elders.  To read more about the organization click here

Konnekt Global participating in PUZZLE TIME

I am extremely excited that Konnekt Global a youth driven nonprofit organization have delivered jigsaw puzzles to underserved diverse Alzheimer's facilities in the state of New Jersey. We are now working to set up several PUZZLE TIME programs in those facilities.

Vansh Zota has helped distribute the puzzles and will be organizing PUZZLE TIME in Northern New Jersey (Hudson/Bergen Counties). THANK YOU VERY MUCH Vansh and KONNEKT GLOBAL for helping us!

If you have a loved one in a facility in NJ and would like the PUZZLE TIME program please reach out to us at Kidcaregivers@gmail.com. 

If you would like to volunteer please reach out to us.

Roger That Podcast on May 20th, 2022.

 I will be on the Roger That Podcast on May 20th.  It is a weekly podcast focused on the caregiver.

Stay tuned for details about the show! Please tune in if you have a chance :-)

.Click here for previous episodes from the show.

Thank You Matthew Hernandez!

 Matthew was one of our first volunteers to happily deliver a lot of puzzles to an underserved facility! 

We are now working very hard to organize PUZZLE TIME so the volunteers can solve puzzles with the Alzheimer's residents!

Tea Could Reduce Risk of Dementia

 Grandma LOVED tea, and I like iced tea a lot.  There is a study in Translational Psychiatry , which shows the benefit of drinking tea.  The amount of tea consumed a day was between 1- 6 cups. Just thought I would share some positive news for the day!

Click here to read the study

The Love Never Forgets!

 I want to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day. This holiday is not an easy one for everybody. It is a bittersweet time for some of us.

My advice for the holiday is to not think about what "could have been". Instead think about NOW, and the present.

On Mother's Day, I would bring flowers for all of the residents at grandma's facility! It did not matter if they had children or not. On Mother's Day "everyone" celebrated. Kindness is never wrong!

If your family member does not realize it is Mother's Day, it is ok. Tell them that you love them, and are spending time together.

Riley's Way 2022 Call For Kindness Fellow

 It is with great joy that I share the amazing news that our organization has been selected as a Riley's Way Foundation 2022 Call For Kindness Fellow.

I have some wonderful ideas about our grant and increasing our reach for PUZZLE TIME and Kid Caregivers.  Thank you very very much Riley's Way Foundation for such an honor!

Click here to learn more!

 

Shout Out To Our Special Long Island Ambassador Jake Guttman!

 We mentioned Jake before...He is the amazing Ambassador who spearheaded the extremely generous puzzle donation from BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION.

He did something even more extraordinary. He purchased specialized Springbok Alzheimer's puzzles with his OWN allowance money to be distributed for Global Youth Service Day. You read correctly folks, his <b>own</b> money. He could have used his money to buy cool things like XBOX games or sneakers, etc. Instead, he chose to help diverse people living with Alzheimer's disease.

We cannot thank you enough, Jake!  We are so lucky and grateful to have you!

Thank You To Our New Massachusetts Ambassador Vianna Romiero!

 Vianna collected almost 100 puzzles for Global Youth Service Day. She is now busy recruiting multiple students for PUZZLE TIME. She is looking for volunteers in Easton and Deeham, MA but is also able to assist in different locations.

Please reach out to us at Kidcaregivers@gmail.com or fill out our form!

Global Youth Service Day Weekend Was A Success!

 Starting Friday, April 29th until May 1st we had student volunteers and Girl Scouts distributing over 1000 jigsaw puzzles to memory care facilities and nursing homes. The residents ant the Alzheimer's facilities were overjoyed! In addition, the student volunteers will be participating in PUZZLE TIME! This would not have been possible without the benefit of HERSHEY CORP for their HEARTWARMING HERO Grant, Youth Service America, Springbok Puzzles, CEACO Puzzles, THREDUP, NERVOUS SYSTEM puzzles, Relish puzzles which shipped from the UK! Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!

We had volunteers from multiple states and Canada taking part in the event. We also had volunteers from other nonprofits such as Mulitplying Good's Students In Action Konnekt Global Support helping us! Here are some pictures!