Wednesday, December 13, 2017

One Reno veteran may have Alzheimer's, but this Christmas is one he will never forget

What a touching story. I am so proud of my community! Home means
Nevada.
BY: Sanaz Tahernia

http://mynews4.com/news/local/one-reno-veteran-may-have-alzheimers-but-this-christmas-is-one-he-will-never-forget

RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) -- Dean Miller is a World War II veteran who suffers from Alzheimer's, and his condition has worsened since he lost his wife a few weeks ago to Stage 4 terminal cancer. Knowing she was going to pass, Jerelyn's grandson Jerry Pryde flew to Reno from Los Angeles to take care of his grandmother, and one of her last wishes was that Jerry stay in Reno to take care of Dean for the rest of his life.
Jerry said that because Jerelyn just passed, he figured Dean wouldn't celebrate Christmas this year, but that didn't stop him from nominating Dean for Signature Landscapes' Decorated Family Program. The local Reno landscaping company chooses a number of military families in Northern Nevada in order to decorate their homes for the holidays for free. Company owner, Justin Trimble believes it's a way for the company to give back to veterans who bravely sacrifice their lives for the safety and freedom of Americans.
When Dean found out his home was selected to be decorated, he said that the decorations are allowing him to get into the holiday spirit in a difficult time.

Friday, November 17, 2017

November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month!


Alzheimer's Association. Go Purple with a Purpose for Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Caregivers Month. President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in 1983.
https://www.alz.org/co/in_my_community_alzheimers_awareness_month.asp

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Thank You Bill GATES!

Contact: Kate Meyer, 312-604-2435, kmeyer@alz.org Alzheimer’s Association media line, 312-335-4078 The Alzheimer’s Association Welcomes Bill Gates to the Trenches to Dig Deep into Alzheimer’s Disease CHICAGO, November 13, 2017 — Today Bill Gates announced his commitment to the Alzheimer’s cause. The Alzheimer’s Association welcomes him and applauds his efforts to seek an end to Alzheimer's, which he details in the piece titled “Why I’m Digging Deep into Alzheimer’s.” As he notes, more people are living longer than ever before and discoveries in science mean that less people die young from heart disease, cancer and infectious disease, allowing for longer lives. However, along with increased age comes a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s, a disease that is not normal aging and is ultimately fatal. Gates acknowledges that in addition to the staggering economic costs, emotional costs also run very high for families affected by this devastating disease. Sharing personal insight into his own family experience is brave and advances the public conversation about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Those who have experienced this disease firsthand, like Gates, know the enormous impact it has on individuals and families creating, as he says, a ripple effect that is unmatched by other health conditions. Data reported annually in the Alzheimer’s Association Fact and Figures report illustrate the impact: More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and they are cared for by over 15 million family caregivers. In addition, dementia creates a staggering financial burden. Those who have dementia spend five times more annually on outof-pocket health expenses than those who don’t have Alzheimer’s, and the disease accounts for direct American health care costs of $259 billion in 2017, with projected growth to $1.1 trillion in 2050. Gates has invested a great deal of time to better understand the full scope of the disease and how he can play a significant role in accelerating progress. The Alzheimer’s Association commends Bill Gates for digging in and joining the cause. In his letter, Gates describes how he will address this issue using a multidimensional approach. This is crucial. We are learning how the brain changes throughout life and are beginning to identify those abnormal changes early, even before symptoms occur. We also know that given the complexity of the brain, that multiple approaches to combating Alzheimer’s, including lifestyle and drug interventions, are necessary to slow and ultimately stop the disease. This will require more public and private funding, more clinical trial participants and more data sharing to push progress forward faster. The Alzheimer’s Association believes strongly in addressing Alzheimer’s through a multidimensional approach, so we’re leading initiatives, convening and collaborating through scientific projects including: 1. Data sharing through through the Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network (GAAIN) 2. Clinical trials examining the impact of lifestyle interventions through the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) and 3. Large-scale early detection efforts such as the World Wide Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (WW-ADNI) and Imaging Dementia — Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) study. While these are just a few examples of the Association’s efforts to accelerate progress, the Alzheimer’s cause still needs much more. To that end, the Association is leading the way to increase the nation’s federal commitment to Alzheimer’s disease research. As a result, in the last five years, Alzheimer's research funding at the National Institutes of Health has nearly tripled — and yet, this amount is still not sufficient to create the progress needed to achieve the bipartisan, federal commitment to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s by 2025. Nonetheless, thanks to all of the contributions of all of the dedicated people working to defeat Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association is confident that together we will succeed. Having Bill Gates declare his dedication to making an impact on accelerating progress is great for the cause. We extend our deep thanks to Bill Gates for his commitment to moving the Alzheimer's cause forward even faster, and extend our open arms in working together to achieve a world without Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s Association The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. It is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research. The Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Miss America Contestant Victoria Huggins Advocate for Alzheimer's Awareness

Congrats to Miss North Carolina for bring awareness to Alzheimer's! Great job!! I am so thrilled to see more pageant sister queens share their reasons why they advocate for Alzheimer's.
"The Moment Miss America Contestant Victoria Huggins Knew She Wanted to Advocate for Alzheimer's Awareness: 'It Was Like a Scene Out of The Notebook"
https://www.facebook.com/MissAmericaNC/
BY 
Victoria Huggins returned to the pageant circuit at 17, but she’s been advocating for Alzheimer’s awareness and music therapy since she was 7 years old.
Huggins, the reigning Miss North Carolina, sang for her great-grandmother during visits to the nursing home where she received extended care. After a while, other residents wanted to hear her voice, so Huggins performed in the lobby, where she encountered Alzheimer’s patients for the first time.
“Sometimes the music would help connect them to memories they had been unable to remember due to Alzheimer’s,” Huggins, 23, tells PEOPLE. “To see how something that I love so much, music, was able to bring so much joy and comfort not only to the person dealing with the disease, but also their families, that showed me that that was something I wanted to get involved in.”
Huggins — who entered her first pageant when she was 5 years old — remembers one song in particular that resonated with a patient she visited in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
“There was a lady named Miss Rosie, and she had not been able to remember her husband for the past six months,” the University of North Carolina at Pembroke alumna recalls. “I started singing ‘At Last,’ and she reached her hand from the wheelchair to her husband’s beside her and said, ‘Honey, that’s our song.’ She started singing along to the lyrics and told all of her caregivers that that was her first dance at their wedding. He just looked at her like he had seen the sun for the first time. It was like a scene out of The Notebook.”
Life changing moments like that led Huggins to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association, for which she serves as an ambassador and partakes in the organization’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. And since earning the title of Miss North Carolina in June, Huggins has started gathering iPods and loading them with personalized playlists for Alzheimer’s patients to listen to in nursing homes.
The Johns Hopkins grad student explains that the cost of music therapy makes it difficult to implement in every nursing home, but the iPods can help until legislation funding the practice passes.“That’s my ultimate goal,” Huggins says of pushing for government funding. “North Carolina is on the way to having it implemented in every facility. A lot of other states have it on a much larger scale, but it definitely needs more awareness, and I hope that’s what I can do.”

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

2017 Reno, Sparks END Alzheimer's Annual Walk-Sunday Sep 23!

It's almost time for the annual END Alzheimer's walk for the Reno, Sparks area. Please come join my team called, "Remember My Photo". We have just 10 days until the END ALZ walk for 2017. The walk will be held on Sunday, September 23, 2017 at the Reno, Sparks Marina. Be there by 8am. Enjoy the opening ceremonies, check out the vendor tables and connect with other families that have been affected by Alzheimer's. My individual goal is to raise $100.00, but I have set the team goal to raise $2,000.00. Click on the link to donate or to join my team.



#endalz #alzheimers #beverlyjean #grandmabev #remembermyphoto #purpledignity #walktoendalzheimers #beverlysangels