What Should You Do If Your Loved One Is Just Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease

 Finding out that your loved one (in my case, my grandmother) has Alzheimer's disease is scary and confusing.  I have a few pointers that I think can help!

Learn about the disease. Here is a good explanation for kids: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/alzheimers.html?ref=search

Here are some resources for kids from the Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/kids-teens/for_kids

Here are some important tips:

1) It is not your fault - Your family member may look the same on the outside but their brain on the inside is not working very well.

2) Be patient with your loved one. They may not remember things and may act differently but they are the same person inside.

3) You can still do fun things together!  Set the table, listen to music, look and photos, solve puzzles.

4) Realize that you are not alone. There are 1.8 million kids out there who have family members with the disease.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day PUZZLE DISTRIBUTION DAY

 On January 17th, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day we will be donating puzzles across the nation specifically to diverse Alzheimer's communities.  

As the statistics show, African American people are diagnosed twice as often as whites with Alzheimer's disease. Lantinx communities are diagnosed 1.5 times as often as whites with Alzheimer's disease. 

Diverse communities need resources. We will have student volunteers delivering the puzzles to communities that need them, nationally. As the research shows, solving jigsaw puzzles stimulates the occipital lobe (visual cortex) which can slow the progression of dementia, and improve mood and memory.  

Also, I am excited to share that I am the Chair of the Martin Luther King Day of Service for the Multiplying Good Organization. If you know a kid that is doing a special project for MLK Day on January 17th and would like to be part of the Multiplying Good Instagram Takeover please have them tag Multiplying Good.

Please contact me on our form on this blog or email me at Kidcaregivers@gmail.com so we can ship puzzles to diverse communities in honor of Reverend King!

Nebraska Puzzle Time Ambassadors

We are in need of Nebraska Puzzle Time volunteers for Lincoln, Nebraska. Multiple facilities are looking for students/Girl Scouts.  Please contact us by filling out a form online or emailing us at KidCaregivers@gmail.com. In the meantime, students in Lincoln, make collect puzzles for distribution.Community service credit will be given for service hours!

Lancaster Rehabilitation Center

 1001 South St, Lincoln, NE 68502

Starting date will be in February (after the Omicron surge, subsides).

Making Your Home Dementia Friendly

The BrightFocus Foundation posted a very helpful article offering tips about fixing your living space to make it easier for an Alzheimer's patient.

Some highlights from the article: 

Make sure there is natural light

Keep a list of phone numbers with the telephone

Maker sure TV removes are visible

Keep kitchen surfaces clutter free

Remove locks inside your home

Here is the whole article:

https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/making-your-home-dementia-friendly

Touch Is Important

 Touch is important. There is a lot of research which shows that just 5 minutes of hugging and touching can create calmness.

A soft massage increases relaxation and psychological well being. A study showed improvement in severe elderly Alzheimer's patients who received tactile message.

Give your loved one a gentle message to reduced aggressive and stress. Even severe patients can benefit.

Here is a link to the study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21131675/

Paid Family Medical Leave

 This blog entry is from my friend Lynda Everman. I am sharing her words below:

"Paid Family Medical Leave will soon be before the Senate. I've sent an email to our AL Senators urging them to pass the proposed legislation. This is the email I sent. Please feel free to use it to help draft your own:

I am writing as a former caregiver for my dad and late husband, both of whom had Alzheimer’s. This was not at all easy and lasted for 18 years, forcing me into an early retirement and loss of income. Today there are over 11 million caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s who find themselves in this same unenviable position.

Critical help in the form of paid family and medical leave for caregivers is closer than ever, with four weeks of paid leave included in the Build Back Better bill, approved in November by the U.S. House of Representatives. Paid leave will soon be before the Senate and needs to be addressed now or the ravaging impact on family caregivers will continue.

When a family member is diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, the effect on families is overwhelming—financially, physically, emotionally. Paid leave could help caregivers better navigate this unwelcome journey. It is not a full-scale panacea, but it is critical in making this turbulent voyage more secure. The Senate should move with haste to pass this much-needed and long-overdue legislation."