Dear friends,
I am seeking your help to get the word out about a valuable free educational opportunity coming to our area regarding Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases.
Current estimates are that 47% of people over 85 have some form of dementia. As lifespans increase, it is becoming an even larger challenge for families. Research indicates the major responsibility for caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia typically falls on adult daughters, and most often the eldest daughter. As we saw with Marcia’s mom’s 7-year battle with Alzheimer’s, most families are ill-prepared to deal with the realities of these diseases. Lack of understanding and preparation can create extreme tension in the family unit, sometimes resulting in the primary caregiver of the person with dementia—often the spouse—experiencing premature emotional and physical decline themselves as a result of the stress.
Teepa Snow, a nationally-recognized educator who has spent her entire professional life helping people understand what living with dementia feels like, is coming to Portland later this month on an educational tour sponsored by The Alzheimer’s Federation of America and Senior Helpers Home Care. An occupational therapist by training, Teepa’s interactive and humorous presentations focus on what dementia sufferers CAN do, rather than what they can’t. People who experience her training sessions come away enlightened, motivated, and empowered.
Teepa will be presenting a two-hour
free educational seminar that will provide essential information on how to have a positive and meaningful relationship with loved ones with Alzheimer's and dementia. The program will be held June 21
st, 2012 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM at St. Pius X Catholic Church Community Center, a short distance from St. Vincent’s Medical Center in SW Portland. The event is free, but to reserve a seat you must pre-register at
http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventId=1068135.
For those of us who have already experienced Alzheimer’s in our families, we wish we would have known more. For those of you who may yet experience this journey, education is the key.
Please forward this message on to those you think would benefit from it. For more information on the event, please call me at 503-567-8411. For more info on Teepa Snow, you can find her on
www.youtube.com or
www.Google.com.
Thanks for helping me get the word out,
Norm Harris
Senior Helpers of Portland/Vancouver
12740 SE Stark St. 11105 NE 14th St., #104
Portland, OR 97233 Vancouver, WA 98684
503-257-7787 Phone 360-836-0499 Phone
888-748-7787 Fax 888-748-7787 Fax
