Posted by
Amy Tucker on Mon, Oct 31, 2011 @ 11:11 AM
Polk County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s took place on October 29. This month, Elder Law for Every Age will feature a series of blogs on Alzheimer’s disease, resources, and other info everyone should know.
This weekend wrapped up a month’s worth of fundraising (and hopefully, awareness-raising) in our office. For the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, we pulled together a pretty impressive team of thirteen Miller, Crosby & Miller employees, family members, and friends!
Despite a gray, cloudy day with rain ranging from mist to drizzle to downpour, I was so touched by the way this community pulled together, and am so proud to be in a career that’s a part of it. After experiencing the “elder care process” with two grandparents, it makes me feel good to see huge teams from nursing homes and home health agencies out in full force.
The various agencies and services had tables set up so that walk participants could learn what they have to offer, and there is a lot out there in the way of support for families caring for an elderly loved one.
Along the walk route, “readers” told stories and read facts and statistics about Alzheimer’s and dementia. This was such a unique touch that really kept the cause front and center during the walk event.
Team MCM will be out in full force for next year's Polk County Walk to End Alzheimer’s!
Posted by
Amy Tucker on Mon, Oct 24, 2011 @ 08:40 AM
Polk County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s takes place on October 29. This month, Elder Law for Everyone will feature a series of blogs on Alzheimer’s disease, resources, and other info everyone should know.
If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia, having others to talk to who are in the same boat can be a tremendous source of support and relief. But it can also be intimidating to walk into a roomful of strangers when you’re already overwhelmed by a major life change. (Remember walking into the high school cafeteria on the first day of your freshman year?)
In an attempt to calm those nerves, here’s a list of suggestions based on the resources provided by our local Alzheimer’s Association chapter—the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter.
- Start online. If an in-person support group is just too big of a step, register to use the Message Boards provided by the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. Here, you can read others’ stories, share your own experiences, and pose questions to a group of people who understand the position you’re in.
- Do your homework. There are support groups for caregivers; groups for patients in early stages of the disease; even groups for specific situations, such as men caring for their wives. To find out what group would be a great fit for you, call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900.
- Call ahead. Each of the groups listed on the links above have phone numbers listed. Give them a call and let them know you’re coming. If the leader is expecting you, chances are they’ll take you under their wing and that “new kid” feeling will quickly go away.
- Ask questions. Come prepared with questions about others’ experiences. By taking the focus off yourself and your own situation, you can reap the benefits of the support group without having to share your own situation before you’re ready.
People who take the time and effort to join one of these groups are there to help and be helped. Remember that today’s questions and trials might be tomorrow’s answers and support to someone you meet along the way.
Posted by
Amy Tucker on Thu, Oct 13, 2011 @ 07:46 AM
Polk County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s takes place on October 29. This month, Elder Law for Everyone will feature a series of blogs on Alzheimer’s disease, resources, and other info everyone should know.
The fact that Alzheimer’s has no true means of prevention, no cure, and no conclusive medical test makes dealing with the disease a pretty grim reality to face for patients, families, caregivers, friends, and everyone it touches.
So what can we do? Here are three Q & A’s about Alzheimer’s prevention and diagnosis that show that we’re definitely not helpless or hopeless. This cause is a work in progress and there are actions we can take to face this disease head on.
1. Can puzzles and brain exercises really help keep us sharp and prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
Possibly. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality and may build its reserves of brain cells and connections.” Brain activity can come from crosswords, math puzzles, etc., but you can also stimulate your mind with new hobbies, classes, gardening—anything that requires you to plan, think, and remember.
Here’s a great site full of online games from AARP. Can you think of a better way to stay sharp than playing a Betty White memory game? I think not!
2. What signs should I look for in myself and others to catch dementia or Alzheimer’s in its very earliest stage?
It’s important to recognize that there’s a difference between everyday stress- or age-related forgetfulness and warning signs of Alzheimer’s. This list from the Alzheimer’s Association is a great guide, and is available in several languages. To educate yourself even more, the novel Still Alice by Lisa Genova is a heartbreaking—yet reassuring—portrait of the early phases of Alzheimer’s. (This book is one of the most memorable books I’ve read, and definitely on my top-10 list.)
Education is key—and one way to spread this knowledge is by having your company or organization join the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance (AEDA). This free program provides resources to organizations that commit to educating their employees about Alzheimer’s detection.
3. What is being done to fix this “no test, no cure, no way to prevent” dilemma?
That’s up to us. Right now, the Federal government is working on a National Alzheimer’s Project—a comprehensive plan to address Alzheimer’s disease. The discrepancy between spending on research vs. spending on care is staggering: for every dollar that goes toward care, less than a penny is spent on research efforts to find a cure.
You can speak out through the National Alzheimer’s Project “From Act to Action” website and by contacting your congressperson. (By the way, Florida is one of only four states with no statewide Alzheimer’s plan, task force, or plans to set up a task force. (See this map for more info.) Kind of alarming for a state with such a large elderly population, isn’t it?)
Posted by
Amy Tucker on Thu, Oct 06, 2011 @ 11:41 AM
Polk County’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s takes place on October 29. This month, Elder Law for Every Age will feature a series of blogs on Alzheimer’s disease, resources, and other info everyone should know.
October’s AARP Bulletin reports that many (too many!) Americans have a couple of misconceptions about Alzheimer’s Disease: first, that it can be diagnosed by a medical test, and second, that there are prescription drugs to slow the disease’s progression.
Not true, says the Alzheimer’s Association: “Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death among the top 10 in Americawithout a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progression.” Statistic-lovers, click here for more facts and figures.
What is true is that researchers are closer than ever to a conclusive test. For now, doctors rely on conversations with patients and families, and are only able to tell for sure by doing an autopsy after the patient has died. The drugs used for Alzheimer’s disease merely treat the symptoms (and even then, only for 6 to 12 months and only in half of the patients who take them)—they don’t actually stop or slow the disease itself. Read the AARP article here, for more science than this lawyer can understand!
It’s these scary facts that make dementia and Alzheimer’s disease research, support, and education important to us at MCM. It’s exciting to be developing a passion for this cause that seems to be gaining momentum worldwide. We hope our small efforts, combined with others, will make a difference for the countless family members, clients, friends, and acquaintances touched by this disease.
Follow us on Facebook to see what we’re doing to fundraise for our Walk to End Alzheimer’s Team.
Posted by
Amy Tucker on Sun, Aug 07, 2011 @ 06:36 PM
I don’t like to be in crowds when I’m stressed out. Is there a phobia for that?
Given my weird aversion to having people bumping into me while I’m under fire, taking the bar exam with 3,499 of my fellow future lawyers last week was an experience I’ll never forget (and let’s hope it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience)!
Until I started preparing for the Florida Bar Exam last May, even I didn’t really know what it was all about. This comes partially from being the first lawyer among my close friends and family, and partially from being in a state of deep denial about the monumental task of studying for “twelve hours a day, seven days a week—because after all, you can rest after the bar!” as one of the instructors of my bar preparation course put it on day one.
The exam takes place over two days, with a three-hour block each morning and each afternoon. The first morning was essays based on Florida law, and the first afternoon was 100 (insanely difficult!) multiple choice questions based on Florida law. The second day is the MBE (Multistate Bar Exam) which is taken all over the country—200 multiple choice questions in two three-hour blocks. And I’d been preparing for this, since early May, with lectures, practice tests, notes, flashcards, and teaching it to my husband until he fell into a deep, boredom-induced sleep.
What I wasn’t prepared for, aside from the questions on archaic medieval property law, was the overwhelming feeling of looking around an enormous warehouse-like room at the Tampa Convention Center and seeing 3,499 other people who had just graduated from law school. 3,499 people who, just like me and the amazing friends I made in law school, have dreams of a bright future with a fulfilling career where they can make a difference.
When I got back to work, Rick, Sam, and Sozon wanted to know if anyone passed out, threw up, or otherwise added drama or humor to the situation. I have no funny stories,* but I’m excited to have that chapter closed and to look forward to being a part of this recession-battered, stressed-out, but still optimistic crowd of 3,500.
*P.S.: Since my bar-taking experience yielded no stories, make us laugh by telling us your test-taking dramas by leaving a comment below!