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Group reaches out to caregivers

By Billie Dunn

CATSKILL — Gretchen Moore-Simmons is the professional development specialist for the Northeastern New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and she says that every 71 seconds, someone is diagnosed with the disease. That’s why she’s coordinating the chapter’s 12th annual Conference for Caregivers.

“Knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing by virtue of the fact that people are more familiar with it,” said Moore-Simmons, who travels throughout the chapter’s 17-county region, educating people.

Moore-Simmons recently visited Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson where she gave a Nov. 5 presentation called Alzheimer’s 101, an overview about the disease, and at an Aug. 5 Maintain Your Brain presentation she taught about exercises people can do to keep their brains healthy.

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and association officials are anticipating nearly 450 people at next week’s conference, which is geared toward caregivers.

The annual Conference for Caregivers will take place on Nov. 24, at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. Registration for the event begins at 8 a.m., and after a brief welcome address the conference’s keynote speaker author David Troxel, MPH, will take center stage.

Troxel is a past executive board member of the American Public Health Association and is a member of the Ethics Advisory Panel for the United States Alzheimer’s Association. He is known for his writing and teaching in the fields of Alzheimer’s disease and long-term care, and has co-authored four books on Alzheimer’s care, as well as numerous articles relating to care, staff development, and training. Among Troxel’s most notable books is The Best Friend’s Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, which has become a nationally and internationally recognized philosophy of dementia care.

Through his keynote speech Troxel will look back on the development of person-centered care, he will discuss current trends and ideas supporting the best care for people with dementia, and he will describe how caregivers acquire the ability to enhance activities, communication, and personal care.

Monday’s conference will be Troxel’s first visit to Albany and he isn’t just going to speak at the event, he’s going to provide workshops and activities, sign books, and be available for questions and answers throughout the day.

Web Resources

If you’re not planning on attending the annual conference next week, but you have Alzheimer’s-related questions, check out the Web site of the Northeastern New York chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org/northeasternny.

On it you’ll find newsletters, support group information, local news, upcoming events, and more. There’s also a link to the organization’s national site, which features a caregiver stress test. The eight-step interactive quiz allows caregivers to measure the stress they are experiencing, while providing resources tailored to the test-taker’s specific needs.

The national site also offers message boards, a senior housing finder, training information, library services, and more.

The Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association became incorporated in April 1980 with a budget of just $75,000. Two years later President Ronald Reagan designated the first Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Week. Today the Alzheimer’s Association is a multi-million dollar organization that continues to make progress in Alzheimer’s research and care.

“Monday’s conference is going to provide people with knowledge and information that can make their lives and the lives of their loved ones a little better,” said Gretchen-Simmons. “If we can get 450 people in a facility in one day and help them increase their awareness, that’s progress.”

To reach reporter Billie Dunn, please call 518-943-2100, ext. 3323, or e-mail bdunn@thedailymail.net.

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