Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Keep Memory Alive-Power of Love Gala. (KMA) Las Vegas, Nevada April 26, 2014

My lovely Volunteer Badge
Walking the Red Carpet.
Mrs. Nevada International 2014
Over the weekend I was able to volunteer for the 18th annual Keep Memory Alive-Power of Love Gala. (KMA) at the MGM in Las Vegas. It was one of the most powerful moments in my life.  This event is a private fundraiser that raises money for the Larry Rou Brain Center for health in Las Vegas. The gala raises anywhere from $2 million to $6 million each year. (Over the 17 years they have raised over $100 million dollars).  


This money goes back to the clinic help with research and treatment for patients.

The tables await all 1,350 guest whom
were attending this grand gala

Guest were greeted with the large propped word
LOVE
when they arrived
Christopher Meloni-Actor from SVU
The meaning of being at this event was blended for me with many emotions.  I was happy to attend and be a part of a great event.  I also felt sad that I was at this event to raise money for a cure and my grandma had already passed. It made me think of her and her Alzheimer’s and how terrible it was to watch her die over a 7 year period.  Being at the event also meant most of us in the room, celebrities, the wealthy, the volunteer and the worker had all been touched by someone with Alzheimer’s.  We all experienced watching someone pass from this disease or care took for them.
Fantine the singer and I at the VIP party

Gloria Estefan Singing..
Queen Latifah Singing
My Partner and Crime for the
night, and new friend: Donna
 It re-enforced my feeling of advocacy, fundraising and sharing my story about my grandma along with braking the stigma around Alzheimer’s.  It helped me see that others like myself had gone through a painful loss of a loved one. It made me feel really connected to them.  While the moment was grand, helping, seeing the event in person, shaking celebrities hands, I still wished my grandma could have seen this.  I remember thinking. She is here with me, and that thought calmed me..

Taking photos with fellow volunteers.

More Photos with fellow volunteers.
I can truly say it was a blessing and one of the most memorable moments of my life time. I sure hope that we do find a cure soon, because this memory of the Power of Love isn't one I want to forget ever.



Monday, April 28, 2014

Alzheimer's Facts, Figures. Get a team. WALK to end Alzheimer's.

The numbers are staggering when it comes to Alzheimer's. And ever 68 seconds they are getting worse. This video below is powerful. Thought I would share. The first time I saw it at a committee meeting I cried.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kjcDGkqby4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waeuks1-3Z4

If you want to walk to end Alzheimer's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy1meibwQ0A

Monday, April 21, 2014

Glen Campbell's wife moved singer to care facility over safety concerns

Friday, April 11, 2014

Why-Remember My Photo Project???

(Grandma Bev-Skiing! One of her favorite things that she loved to do.)
I have longed for and begun parts of the healing process to start since the passing of my grandma. Now 2 years later there are days I still cry, laugh, or smile when I think of her or a memory of us doing something together. Nothing can ever replaced her, however the disease that robbed her still haunts me.


Born July 10, 1928 to parents who were wheat farmers, she longed for a life in the city.   My grandma was a very different kind of woman. She married as a junior in college, had one son, and quickly decided she didn't want do not be married. This was a first for anyone in her family. Divorce. Her parents almost disowned her over it because back in 1953 you didn't do that.  She got her way and moved forward with life. The relationship healed with her parents and she did move forward.  She became a secretary to the general in the Army  in Washington for 25 years before retiring out and she found love 3 times with marriage.
She also found heart break with her own son. The custody battle between her and my grandfather was long, and went to the supreme court in Washington. In the end she got full custody and my father spent his summers with his father and lived the school year with his mom. She loved and cared for him, but in his adult years he chose drugs and alcohol to deal with his depression and bi-polar disorder.  She finally removed him out of her life in 1997.
When I came to know my grandma I was a baby, than a toddler, than a young kid, teenager and a young woman. I came to know her because of her son not playing an active role as a father in my life. He was hooked on heroin and alcohol and she wanted a relationship with the only grandchild she had so she asked my mother if she could care for me each summer while I was out of school as my mother worked 2 jobs to put a roof over our heads to support all of her kids (I came from marriage #2).
                                                      (Doing some school cloths shopping. 1993)

Spending summers with Grandma Bev growing up was magical and special. I was the only grandchild so I got all of her love and attention and also learned of my great-grandparents farming and life. I even helped planned there funerals with her because they didn't pass till I was thirteen.  We grew fond of each other. I could call grandma whenever I was back home, and we always picked up where we left off. We never missed a beat.  In my young adult years she always asked if I was going to "Stay in Nevada?", and I never really could give her a yes or no answer because I wasn't sure what my future held. She would send me cute cards and emails, and we would talk once a week as I began to work the corporate ladder.
(Great Grandma & Grandpa Orr, Grandma Bev's parents.)

(FYI: Grandma loved to fish!!)


The first time I noticed a change in Grandma Bev I was 24 years old. She had come to watch me in the Nevada Day Parade October 31, 2005, I was the reigning Miss University of Nevada Reno, 2005 and she was a very proud grandma.  We would talk, and she would quickly forget what we were talking about or ask me the same questions several times. When I began to dig deeper into what was happening she covered it up.   I slowly sat back and watched the next several years unravel into an Alzheimer's nightmare.  It all came crashing down right after I had my son May 5, 2010.  My grandma had been making two to five phone calls a day to my cell phone. Each time she sounded a little sadder and couldn't form sentences.   It was apparent that she wasn't getting all the care she needed from her third husband.  I had called several times for welfare checks on the both of them do to age and her progression in the disease.   Her husband unfortunately had a lot of health issues and really couldn't provider her the level of care she now needed.
When my son was about four months old I planned a trip to go see grandma, so she could met her great grandson. I was hoping it would cheer her up. I spent several weeks planning out our trip only to have her husband call me and say "Don't bother coming, I put your grandma in a nursing home." My heart broke and I became hysterical and could hardly tell my husband what was going on.  My husband and I choose to go up anyways and take our son. He knew how much my grandma had meant to me.
Her husband was both shocked and not pleased when I showed up; however he gave me the address to where he had "dropped her off at." I couldn't drive over from her house to the nursing home fast enough.  When we got there the staff was shocked to find out she had a grand-daughter because her husband mentioned no family members. They were happy to see me and quickly showed me to the lock-down ward of the nursing home she was in (which being a mother of a 4 month old I was not prepared for).

(Trying to smile through tears after seeing her in the nursing home for the first time)
There she was with her face pressed against the glass door that was locked by a key pad.  Her hair was messy and she was wearing a t-shirt with a long skirt. She looked disheveled, weak, frail and old. I began to sop uncontrollable as I hugged her. The staff all encouraged me, but I honestly was heart broken to see her like this. This was not the grandma I knew. Who skied until she was 77 years old, and who walked or hiked daily on average of five to ten miles.  This was Alzheimer's robbing me of the one person that had loved me and treated me and taught me respect. Changed my diapers as a child and now she was in diapers.
I quickly hired an attorney and filed a motion to be the guardian over my grandma Bev. The attorney told me, rarely is it possible to get custody of a person who is married. I would have to show evidence of her not getting care that she required with her progressed disease with Alzheimer's.  I was able to prove my case in court and won full custody of my grandma Bev on a emergency notification.
Her husband passed away not long after our court battle from lung cancer. Grandma Bev was still in the same nursing home being cared for. I wanted and longed to bring her to Reno but it was advised not to move her since she had settled into a place and could quickly disrupt her and put her into a depression with the Alzheimer's.  I ached to have her closer to me and my son. I called weekly to check on her and sent packages to her every two weeks. She was doing well. Eating. walking the halls in the lock down unit and would ask for Brooke, it was the day she took a fall that I knew her life was finally coming to the end.
The nursing home reassured me she was fine, but four months after the fall I received the call the end was near. Grandma Bev had gone to bed the night before and would now not wake up. Hospice had been called in. I drove up that Monday night February 20,2012 from Reno, Nevada to Redmond Oregon, praying for her not to pass while I was in root.  She waited for me.
When I got there I tried to wake her. She opened her eyes and said "Barry". This was her son. I knew in my heart I need to help her get closure with him. I was able to track him down. He was living in a closet of a motel in Berkeley, California. He asked if he should come up to Oregon and I told him, that was his choice, but I was not leaving grandma's side.  He chose to speak to her on the phone. Her face lit up and moved around a bit as though she was trying to talk back to him, but nothing came out of her lips. That made me feel good that I was able to bring her some closure with her son.  I stayed with her each day and night until I felt her pull me to her on February 24, 2012 late in the afternoon. She took her final breathe in my arms as I was rocking her.  I watched her beautiful soul leave.
(A photo of our hands together the week she passed away)

I try not to think of the last couple years of her life, because they are all very painful to remember. I try to think of all the things we did together. I really miss her and I laughing together, but more importantly I missed her long before she left this earth.  As I finally began to work through the grief I chose to offer free portraits to those diagnosed with Alzheimer's or ones that are suffering from Alzheimer's through my photography business (BMW Photography). It was embraced by my local community on the news and I paired up with the location Alzheimer's Association Chapter of Northern Nevada & California. I wanted to make sure the loved ones photos were remembered as well as their story. I tied it together with a blog called "Remember My Photo". http://bmwphotoproject.blogspot.com/

Time for Caregivers and Memories in the Making

NOW ACCEPTING PARTICIPANTS

Program for Diagnosed Individuals and Family Caregivers!

Memories in the Making® and Time for Caregivers

Memories in the Making® (Memories) is an interactive program designed for persons in the early to middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease, or another form of dementia, that encourages self-expression through the creative arts. In this program, a person with diminished verbal and organizational skills can engage in productive interaction with others via the visual arts, music or writing projects that offer an opportunity for expression. The program provides meaningful activities and a safe place for the participants to express themselves when words may have failed them.  Memories is based on the premise that there are no mistakes in creative expression, and the process of creating art, music or writing is a powerful means of engaging affected individuals throughout the disease process. These creative sessions are conducted by trained facilitators with a background in the arts and a knowledge of dementia and its effects on the abilities of diagnosed individuals.
Time for Caregivers is a separate program for family members of the diagnosed individuals who participate in the Memories in the Making® sessions. The goal of Time for Caregivers is to provide stress relief to family caregivers through supportive interventions, education, activities and time away from caregiving responsibilities. In this program, caregivers will have the option to participate in a variety of activities focused on health and wellness, personal enrichment, supportive fellowship and creative expression, or the caregivers may choose to spend that time engaging in their own pursuits, such as visiting friends, running errands or having quiet time alone. A social worker facilitates the caregiver sessions, and other expert facilitators will be included periodically to present special programming such as meditation, yoga or other enrichment programs.
Spring 2014 SERIES -- 2 LOCATIONS!
Both programs are held once a week for 8 weeks. The session length is 90 minutes.
LOCATION: Columbia Center3500 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226 (Columbia-Tusculum, near Mt. Lookout)
Spring 2014 Dates: Weekly sessions, Tuesdays, Apr. 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29; May 6, 13 & 20
Time: 
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
LOCATION: The Centennial Barn110 Compton Road
Cincinnati, OH 45215 (bordering Hartwell & Wyoming)
Spring 2014 Dates: Weekly sessions on Fridays, Apr. 4, 11, 18 &25; May 2, 9. 16, & 23
Time:  
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Initial screening is required and space is limited. This program is free of charge. Please call Joan Hock at 513-721-4284, ext. 104 or email jhock@alz.org for more information. Click here for a program flyer.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Remembering As a Form of Therapy

Why reminiscing can be therapeutic.
By Michael Craig Miller, M.D., Harvard Health Publications
Memory looms large in our understanding of mental health and mental illness. For some people, remembering painful events, like abuse or the death of a loved one, causes suffering. But as we age, remembering too little becomes the problem for many of us. A simple form of therapy can be helpful when memory begins to fail. And, as an additional benefit, it can help with mood problems.
What is Reminiscence Therapy?
Reminiscence therapy uses prompts, such as photos, music or familiar items from the past, to encourage the patient to talk about earlier memories. It's generally offered to people in their later years who have mood or memory problems, or need help dealing with the difficulties that come along with aging.
Since the late 1990s, partially controlled studies have shown that this treatment has a small but significant positive effect on mood, self-care, the ability to communicate and well-being. In some cases, this therapy improves intellectual functioning.
The History of Reminiscence as Therapy
The idea that reminiscing could be therapeutic was first proposed in the 1960s. Robert Butler, a prominent psychiatrist who specialized in geriatric medicine, coined the term "life review." He proposed what many now take as a given: When approaching death, people find it helpful to put their lives in perspective. In an earlier decade, talking about distant memories was thought of as "living in the past" and therefore a problem.
The idea behind reminiscence therapy is consistent with the theories of adult psychological development that were being proposed around the same period by another famed professional, the psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson thought that for the greater part of adulthood, we are challenged to find creative, meaningful work in order to avoid feeling stuck. Then, in the final phase of life, we may try to review where we have been and what we have accomplished in the hope that we can feel good about our lives. Reminiscence therapy, which incorporates both Dr. Butler's insights into life review and Dr. Erikson's theory of psychological development, may help a person achieve that goal.
How Does Reminiscence Therapy Work?
Reminiscence therapy can be conducted formally or informally with individuals, families, or groups. Typical topics are:
  • Family and friendships
  • Loves and losses
  • Achievements and disappointments
  • Adjustments to life's changes
Sessions can last from 30 to 60 minutes and occur weekly or even several times per week. Depending on the training of the clinician, the patient's needs and the setting, the goal may be to:
  • Improve communication
  • Foster a person's sense of self
  • Improve mood
  • Provide an enjoyable social activity
Perhaps it is easiest to think of reminiscence therapy or life review as a variation on supportive psychotherapy. Reminiscence is a way for a therapist and patient to develop a therapeutic relationship. By creating a sympathetic situation, therapists may make it easier for patients to verbalize their problems and concerns.
In the best case, this therapy can help patients establish realistic goals and come to terms with life's disappointments and limits, while taking pleasure and pride in recalling accomplishments.
What Does The Research Say?
Research has shown that older people with symptoms of depression who participate in reminiscence therapy report better self-esteem and are more positive about their social relations than similar people who do not receive the therapy. They also tend to have a more favorable view of the past and are more optimistic about the future.
The results for patients with dementia are not quite as encouraging or clear — although mental abilities and behavior do seem to improve. But the more interesting effect may be on the people caring for people with dementia. Caregivers report a reduction in stress and improved knowledge of the patients.
As treatments go, there are few side effects to reminiscence therapy. But you still need to be cautious. Not all memories are pleasant, and some individuals use the time to nurse their bitterness over disappointments. People with advanced dementia cannot participate. There are still relatively few controlled studies in this area of research, so clinicians must keep their expectations realistic.
A Valuable Benefit to Any Relationship
It might be worthwhile to think about reminiscence more broadly. It may be a valuable element of any relationship, not just a therapeutic one. The sports commentator, Bill Simmons (on ESPN in his podcast), regularly calls old college friends to discuss not just today's sporting news, but to remember experiences shared several years earlier. He and his friends laugh a lot and I smile listening to them.
Think of this the next time you visit old friends, or have an opportunity to see an older relative. The pleasure of reminiscing may help the person you're talking to, and you may feel better too.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

News for Healthier Living Aerobic Exercise May Help Older Women at Risk for Dementia

WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Regular aerobic workouts increase the size of the brain's memory area in older women and may help slow the progression of dementia, according to a small new study.
It included 86 women, aged 70 to 80, who had mild memory problems, also known as "mild cognitive impairment," which researchers say is a common risk factor for dementia. The women also underwent MRIs to assess the size of their hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning.
The study, conducted by Teresa Liu-Ambrose and her colleagues at the physical therapy department of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, was published online April 8 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
For six months, the women did twice weekly hour-long sessions of either aerobic exercise (brisk walking); resistance training such as weights, lunges and squats, or balance and muscle toning exercises.
Twenty-nine of the women had their hippocampus size checked again after completing these exercise programs. Those who did the full six months of aerobic training showed significant enlargement of the hippocampus, but this change did not occur in those from the other groups, according to a journal news release.
However, there was some indication that the increase in hippocampus size was associated with poorer verbal memory, the researchers reported.
This suggests that the link between brain volume and mental abilities is complex and requires more research, the authors said. While the study found an association between aerobic exercise and hippocampus size, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
However, the authors said that the findings do indicate that aerobic exercise does slow the shrinkage of the hippocampus in women who are at risk of developing dementia. They recommended regular aerobic exercise to keep mild cognitive impairment at bay.
A new case of dementia is diagnosed worldwide every four seconds, and the number of people with dementia is expected to rise to more than 115 million by 2050, according to the researchers.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about dementia.
-- Robert Preidt
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