Last week I visited the Alzheimer’s Association. It was the hardest agency visit that I’ve had to do so far and there were times that I had to hold back tears. My grandmother died two years ago from Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is an awful disease that I would never wish upon my worst enemy. It is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder with no known cause or cure. Every year, more and more people are being diagnosed. In the US alone, there are 4.5 million people with this disease. The only nice thing is that there is a wonderful agency that will be with you and support the family as they deal with loosing their loved ones.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers many programs that help families deal with the disease. The one that stuck out the most to me was this really interesting project called Memories in the Making. This allows them to express themselves thru art. They will have a patient sit in front of a blank canvas with someone that they tell their story to while painting. The families often discover things about their family member that they never knew. At the end of the year, they have a big art show to display the pieces of art.
My grandma’s canvas was the piano. She played beautifully and always from memory. Whenever we went to see her, we would always ask if she would play us a song. Toward the end, she would always say, “I don’t know how to play the piano” and then break into a beautiful song. I am actually holding back tears remembering that right now.
For those that are affected by Alzheimer’s they often loose the ability to communicate, but with a project like this, it really allows them to express themselves. Check out their website for the complete list of services that they offer- http://www.alz-rochesterny.org/
Having been thru this with my grandmother, it is nice to know that there is an agency that will help you deal with this disease every step of the way. Knowing that this disease runs in my family, hopefully they will have a cure before it affects anyone else in my family. But if not, I know that I can lean on those at the Alzheimer’s Association.
Alzheimer’s is an awful disease that I would never wish upon my worst enemy. It is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder with no known cause or cure. Every year, more and more people are being diagnosed. In the US alone, there are 4.5 million people with this disease. The only nice thing is that there is a wonderful agency that will be with you and support the family as they deal with loosing their loved ones.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers many programs that help families deal with the disease. The one that stuck out the most to me was this really interesting project called Memories in the Making. This allows them to express themselves thru art. They will have a patient sit in front of a blank canvas with someone that they tell their story to while painting. The families often discover things about their family member that they never knew. At the end of the year, they have a big art show to display the pieces of art.
My grandma’s canvas was the piano. She played beautifully and always from memory. Whenever we went to see her, we would always ask if she would play us a song. Toward the end, she would always say, “I don’t know how to play the piano” and then break into a beautiful song. I am actually holding back tears remembering that right now.
For those that are affected by Alzheimer’s they often loose the ability to communicate, but with a project like this, it really allows them to express themselves. Check out their website for the complete list of services that they offer- http://www.alz-rochesterny.org/
Having been thru this with my grandmother, it is nice to know that there is an agency that will help you deal with this disease every step of the way. Knowing that this disease runs in my family, hopefully they will have a cure before it affects anyone else in my family. But if not, I know that I can lean on those at the Alzheimer’s Association.
1 comment:
Liz - Obviously this tour hit close to home. You did a wonderful job of explaining your feelings and the helpfulness of the Alzheimer's Association. My friend Ralph did a Memory Painting and his daughter Lucy learned some interesting history about her father and mother. Keep up the good work - Marilyn
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