Team PFOC at last years Walk to End Alzheimers - Library Park, Lake Geneva.

ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
Passionate Support for a Cure Offers Hope and Awareness
by Kristen Westlake
Photos Courtesy of Alzheimers Association of SE Wisconsin

epending on the day, Cathy and Callies mother would notoriously wander out of or lock herself up in the house. It was extremely stressful to have 24/7 coverage for our mom, conveys Cathy. Callie had to sell her home in Texas to come back to care for their Mom. Welcome to the world of Alzheimers disease. The most common form of dementia, Alzheimers is a progressive and fatal brain disease. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a variety of diseases and conditions that develop when nerve cells in the brain die or no longer function normally. The disease is not considered a normal part of aging and dismisses no one from its possibility. Callie and Cathy have certainly had their experiences with it within their own family. Cathy asserts, Our moms mom passed away with what used to be called hardening of the arteries. This is now known as Alzheimers. Our mom was the youngest sibling of 9 and became the caregiver one of her older sisters during her battle with Alzheimers. Instead of hiding and/or denying, we want to understand Alzheimers because it is very possible that one of us could have this disease in our future. The more we learn and understand this disease, the more passionate we have become to help find a cure. Though there is currently no cure,
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this awareness, understanding, and progressive research with hope for the future are key. What Callie and Cathy experience as caregivers to their Mother with Alzheimers is called the ripple effect. Andy Kerwin, who runs an Alzheimers support group at Arbor Village of Geneva Crossing, stresses that it isnt only the person with the disease who is affected by it. The ripple effect is the effect the disease has on caretakers. The support group is a confidential and safe place for people that provides an avenue of support, education and a place for people to know they are not alone. The group meets to learn, listen and to share. A caregiver getting sick or getting stressed out or being overwhelmed is not going to help their loved one, Andy professes. While the focus is on the person with memory loss, recognition of the ripple effect is important and the caregiver needs focus as well. Some of the ripple effect stress that Callie and Cathy experienced was the unpredictable behavior of their mother wandering or locking herself up in the house. Finding 24/7 care for their Mother who could no longer be left alone was stressful. Its hard to find outside care that knows how to work with an Alzheimers patient and its difficult to put your trust into those people, Cathy states. Support groups and the Alzheimers Association website,

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Last years walkers participating in the Promise Garden ceremony to honor those past and present with Alzheimers and related dementias.

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alz.org, help individuals find the resources necessary to manage. With the assistance of the Alzheimers Association we found a local company, Visiting Angels, that provided caregivers for Alzheimers patients when one of us werent able to be

around mom for several hours. We also used Catholic Charities in New Berlin for a daycare during my sisters workdays in Milwaukee. How else does one manage to find respite from conflict and stress that Alzheimers brings? Cathy
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uals struggling with Alzheimers in their family - including a free 24/7 helpline (800-272-3900). The key is getting these resources to the people that need the help. Attending support groups and seeking information helped us to deal with the changes we saw in our mom, stresses Cathy. Andy stresses the importance of early detection. They are trying to figure out how to get the diagnosis earlier on, Andy states,There is talk that people with Alzheimers have actually had it for 20 years. Its just kind of latent there and the symptoms dont manifest themselves until later years. How do we find those people earlier on? How do

Kent Yunker, of Team Yunker, presenting the Wally Phillips Spirit Award at last years walk to Matt Stinebrink of Stinebrinks Piggly Wiggly

expresses, We leaned on each other as well as the rest of our family. Without the understanding and love from our families we would not have made it this far. She continues lightheartedly, We also found retail therapy a very relaxing hobby to have. An important part of the respite are social events, and hobbies to get people out of their house, to get clear of the burden and to provide a little bit of respite, Andy adds. Cindy Lester of A

Day in Time, who provides adult day care, hosts a group called Memory Keepers. Lakeland Health Care Center started a Memory Cafe, a social outlet involving both the caregiver and the person with memory loss. Both are great community resources. The Alzheimers Association, a national organization with more than 70 chapters, including one in Southeastern Wisconsin, provides a plethora of information and resources for those individ-

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we detect it? ... By the time the detection happens now the damage has already occurred. Theres no reversing the damage at that point. You can slow the disease but you cant stop it. However, denial by the person with the disease can make early detection difficult. Cathy notes, We wish our mom had been more open and honest with us when we started seeing signs of Alzheimers. Our mom was determined to not be stigmatized by this disease and she refused to seek help when we were first noticing the signs. It was very frustrating as a family to know something is wrong but pretend it isnt. We werent allowed to really discuss what was happening. Since we had already watched our aunt go through this disease, we knew before the Doctor actually gave us the diagnosis. Our mom was stubborn and denied herself being labeled with Alzheimer's and would not allow her Doctor to put that word in her medical chart. He only stated that she had memory problems. By 2008, after our dad passed away, we took her to a different Doctor who is familiar with

Purple Rose Walk Team ready to walk again this year to raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimers Association.

Alzheimers and was able to diagnose her properly. After she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it gave us some relief as it ruled out many other possibilities. Also it helped us to prepare for how we would deal with our mom. Early diagnosis is important: If you

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or a loved one have any of the 10 signs listed below it is important to see a physician for evaluation. The diagnosis is achieved through careful medical evaluation which includes: medical history, mental status testing, physical and neurological exam, and other tests to rule out other causes of symptoms. Armed with a list of ten signs of Alzheimer's, alz.org lists them: 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life 2. Challenges in planning or problem solving, 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure, 4. Confusion with time or place, 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing, 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps, 8. Decreased or poor judgment, 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities, and 10. Changes in mood and personality. Having troubles with memory is not a sure sign of Alzheimer's, therefore it is important to rule out other causes of Alzheimer's symptoms. Memory problems are also attributed to health problems such as depression, drug interactions, thyroid problems, excess alcohol use or vitamin deficiencies. The seven stages of Alzheimers
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range from beginning stages when nothing may seem amiss to Stage 7 where cognitive decline is severe. The earlier Alzheimers is diagnosed, the earlier current treatments can be started. While the current drugs work

to minimize the symptoms of the disease, they do not treat the disease itself. They will however, lessen the symptoms for a time. With no cure, research continues to provide hope for the future. The future of

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drugs in development aim to address the disease itself, hopefully tackling the progress of the disease and or stopping the disease in its tracks. According to alz.org, Many researchers believe successful treatment will eventually involve a cocktail of medications aimed at several targets, similar to current state of the art treatments for many cancers and AIDS. 7th Annual Walk to End Alzheimers Fundraising efforts are helping to heighten public awareness of Alzheimers, while simultaneously raising money for research, and care and support of individuals living with the disease.

This year marks the 7th annual Walk to End Alzheimers in Walworth County. The walk will take place on Saturday, September 21 at Library Park in Lake Geneva. Cathy and Callie are a part of the Purple Rose team, established in honor of their Mother. Their team was chosen to receive this years Wally Phillips Award, which recognizes their efforts of raising awareness and helping others. Cathy expresses, This will be our 5th year participating in the walk and we are so honored to have been chosen to receive this award. We named our team Purple Rose in honor of our mom who loved purple

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roses. It happened that purple is the color for Alzheimers awareness, it was a fitting name. We love participating in the walk with all the other teams. It is wonderful to be among with others who have the similar experiences. We want to see a cure for this disease so future generations wont have to watch their loved ones disappear. Attesting to the success of the walks awareness building, Cathy states, Since our participation with the Walk to End Alzheimers and with the support group, we have noticed our friends are becoming more open and aware of Alzheimers. Sometimes they dont understand or feel alone and we are able to talk with them and offer support. We share our stories of things that have happened and then our friends realize they are not alone. Those interested in

joining the walk can register at http://bit.ly/16zhtD4 Also dedicated to top fundraising and the walk is the Primex Family of Companies. The Primex Family of Companies (PFOC) was established in 1973. It is headquartered in Lake Geneva, WI, and includes Chaney Instrument Company, Klockit, Primex and Primex Wireless. Sonya Akright, the PFOC team captain and walk co-chair states, PFOC started fundraising for the Alzheimers Association in 2007 as a corporate sponsored community project to enhance the companys presence in our community and increase volunteerism and support of the fundraising events. PFOC has raised more than $80,000 in the last five years to help support the Alzheimers Association. This years goal is to raise $20,000 to support families living with Alzheimers, ad-

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vance reach to treat and prevent Alzheimers, and provide programs to improve the lives of millions of affected people. PFOC has already sponsored several raffle events this year, one weekend at Piggy Wiggly Brat House in Lake Geneva and fundraising efforts will culminate with the Walk to End Alzheimers. The company walk team, PFOC Movers & Shakers, will be out in force raising funds and awareness for this debilitating disease. PFOC will host a prewalk fundraiser which is the

6th Annual Alzheimers Benefit on September 20 at Hemingways, N3720 County Road H, Lake Geneva. This will kick off the annual Alzheimers Association Walk to End Alzheimers weekend with a fun-filled event. The sixth annual event begins at 5 p.m. and will feature live music by the band Under Cover, a pig roast with all the fixings, a silent auction and raffles for great prizes. Dinner will be served from 5 to 8 p.m., the band starts at 7 p.m. and the silent auction and raffles will be ongoing throughout the

evening. Admission at the door is $15 for adults and $5 for children (ages 6 to 12), while children 5 and under are free. Discounted advance tickets are available. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Alzheimers Association of Southeastern Wisconsin. For discounted tickets or more information on the charity event at Hemingways, contact Jenny Osborne at 262-348-4902 or

email at josborne@primexinc.com. Come out have fun and show your community support for patients and families suffering with Alzheimers. Increased public awareness, early detection, support, and research for prevention, treatment, and a cure are all positive steps that will hopefully, someday, lead to a world without Alzheimers.

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