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In This Issue:
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April 2006
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RSVP for May 4 Breakfast Benefit
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Free Memory Care & Wellness Event for Caregivers
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Nora’s Corner: The Constancy of Sports in Our Lives
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Social Work Conference Expands Your Professional Toolkit
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Find Out Before You Try Out: The Daily Alternative
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Hospice for People with Dementia Seminar
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By Nora Gibson, Executive Director
I’m a sports fanatic. I got it from my paternal grandmother who followed the Boston Red Sox after spending a brief time in Boston even though she lived most of her life in Canada. My 80 year-old mother is also a huge sports fan. She loves college football, especially the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even though she worked for Penn State University, she will only root for the Nittany Lions if the Buckeyes’ season is hopeless. Following her recent move to Seattle after 25 years in Pennsylvania, she was faced with a difficult dilemma when my brother who lives in Pittsburgh asked her who she was going to cheer on in the Super Bowl. She called him back professing her love for the Seahawks and is now suffering from low-grade depression (with the rest of us).
In addition to college football, I have an intense love of baseball and basketball—a serious addiction that has been passed on to my children. I’ve never been more proud of my daughter than when we were sitting in the cheap seats at Safeco Field during the Lou Pinella/Edgar Martinez era, and—after a series of complex moves on the field—she says, “Lou’s going to call a suicide squeeze play.” I’m thinking, “He never calls a suicide play.” A moment later, I and the people in the rows around us turn and look at her in amazement because that’s exactly what he did, and it won the game.
Fast forward to this year’s Rose Bowl. I’m helping out at Gaffney House and we’re getting ready to watch the game on television. Most people living there are into the game and as we are rearranging furniture around the television one gentleman wants to place a bet on Purdue University.
I gently break it to him that Purdue is not in the Rose Bowl and that this year it’s USC and Texas. He looks at me like I’m crazy . . .
[Follow Link Below for Continuation of Article]
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If you are taking care of an elder and have witnessed progressive decline in their mental health, diminished social activity, and/or you are experiencing additional stress related to your caregiving role, then you may be exploring professional homecare or residential placement. What you may not be considering is the alternative.
Many people have heard of adult day health, but it’s often overlooked because many people aren’t sure what it is. In this three-part series we’ll discuss some of the specific needs as addressed by ElderHealth Northwest, a provider of adult day services and other community-based alternatives.
The bulk of ElderHealth’s clientele suffer from physical disabilities and poor overall health due to diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions often go hand-in-hand with:
• Social isolation
– lonely at home or infrequent visitors
• Inability to perform daily activities without assistance
– trouble preparing meals, bathing
• Confusion or memory loss
– difficulty managing medications
• Dependence on a caregiver
– limited time for appointments, shopping
Important to the decision making process is an understanding of the ElderHealth environment. Our programs are very much like senior centers, places where older adults can socialize and enjoy a wide variety of recreational activities. We also offer on-site nursing, rehabilitative therapies, nutritious meals and support services; and work closely with transportation providers such as Access and Transia to ensure door-to-door transportation.
As Washington’s largest non-profit provider of innovative day services for fragile elders and persons with disabilities, we strive to keep individuals out of nursing homes for as long as possible, helping to keep the frailest among us in the places where they’re most comfortable.
Next issue: “See the Difference: How to Choose an Adult Day Center”
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“A Journey through Memory Loss”
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 6:00 – 7:30pm
ElderHealth Northwest South Seattle Adult Day Health
4712 35th Ave S, Seattle
RSVP: (206) 363-5500, free and open to the public
This workshop will explore:
• Is memory loss a part of normal aging?
• How is memory loss diagnosed?
• What are the treatments for memory loss?
• What are the current trends in research?
• How can the Alzheimer’s Association help?
Attendees can also learn about the King County Dementia Partnership Project’s “Memory Care and Wellness Services,” which provides a free package of services to those caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s or other dementia (other eligibility criteria apply). Services include:
• Day care and activities
• Education and planning for care
• Family counseling
The King County Dementia Partnership Project is a coalition of Seattle/King County Aging and Disability Services, ElderHealth Northwest, Alzheimer’s Association, Evergreen Geriatric Regional Assessment Team, Kin On Healthcare, Sea-Mar and Senior Services of Seattle/King County.
Low-income caregivers may be able to receive one-time respite services to attend this workshop: call Amanda Woodland at the Crisis Clinic, (206) 461-3210, ext. 626.
For more information about this workshop or Memory Care and Wellness Services, contact Patricia Hunter at the Alzheimer’s Association, (206) 363-5500.
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Workshop: Hospice for People with Dementia
Wednesday, May 3, 2006, 1:00 – 4:00pm
SAFECO Jackson Street Center
306 23rd Avenue S., Seattle
Pre-registration required
Hospice services are an invaluable support to people who are dying, and while people with advanced dementia (and their families) can often benefit from end-of-life care, hospice is often overlooked as an option. This informative workshop will cover when a person may be considered hospice-ready, what hospice services are available for people with dementia and ways to address their specialized care needs as they near the end of life.
This seminar is presented by Gail Loughlin, RN, CHPN. Gail works with Providence Hospice of Seattle and has nearly 20 years of nursing practice in hospice, home health, geriatric case management, discharge planning and teaching others about hospice and end-of-life care.
This educational offering from the Washington Adult Day Services Association is sponsored by ElderHealth Northwest and is approved by the Certified Professional Guardian Board for continuing education credits; it meets the requirements of many licensing and certification boards and facility licenses.
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"Inside ElderHealth" is an occasional e-newsletter of ElderHealth Northwest, a non-profit organization providing innovative eldercare options since 1976.
Adult Day Health Centers * Supported Living Homes * Geriatric Care Management
In-Home Services * ElderFriends Volunteers
Copyright © 2006 ElderHealth Northwest
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