By Heather Shadko My name is Heather Shadko. I grew up in the Midwest, just outside of Chicago, but I’ve been a resident of Puyallup, Wash., for 24 years. I’m a mother, wife and active member of my community. I work as a contract specialist for King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks, combining my passion for the environment and our community with my … Continue reading Honoring My Dad, My Hero: The Longest Day
Each year in April, we recognize volunteers and community partners who have made an incredible impact on our work. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients highlighted below. Continue reading Congratulations To Our 2021 Award Recipients
Don Desonier became an Alzheimer’s Association volunteer after losing his wife, Nancy, to early-onset dementia. This year, he is participating in The Longest Day® in her honor. A woman of grace, beauty and limitless love Don’s wife, Nancy, was a professional flute performer and teacher, having graduated from UCLA with a degree in flute performance. Little did she know that her talent and love for … Continue reading My Journey in Honoring Nancy: The Longest Day
By: UW Dementia Palliative Education Network (DPEN) Team Dementias are prevalent, debilitating conditions with far-reaching health and social effects. An aging U.S. population means that there will likely be a 50% increase in demand for dementia care by 2025. But large gaps exist in the US healthcare system for people living with dementia. With almost four million registered nurses — the largest part of the … Continue reading Two New DPEN Initiatives Aim to Strengthen Dementia Care
By Mark Donham The following is an excerpt from Mark Donham’s chapter in The Moment Collectors: Twenty Travellers’ Tales From Around the World. It has been adapted for the purposes of the ALZWA Blog. Mark is a long-time Alzheimer’s advocate and is currently a board member for the Alzheimer’s Association Washington State Chapter. I was riding and exploring the dusty gravel roads of six countries … Continue reading The True Value of Travel
By Colleen Kienbaum, RN-BSN Brain Injury Awareness Month is here and the perfect time to learn more about how amazing yet vulnerable our brains are to impact and injury. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, one out of every 60 Americans lives with a traumatic brain injury-related disability. Let’s explore the various types of brain injuries and what researchers are saying about their … Continue reading Brain Injury and Dementia: What You Need to Know
By Wendy Nathan, BSc, CMC As we enter our third year of the COVID pandemic, it’s important to pause for a moment and acknowledge how it has stretched us all emotionally, physically, mentally and financially. Daily life is challenging enough. Toss in an ever-evolving pandemic and the landscape becomes more complex. Family caregivers, you have been hit exceptionally hard. I want to acknowledge that too. … Continue reading Caregiver Burnout: Is Your Flame About to Fizzle?
By Glenn Jacobs, Puyallup, Wash. Hi there, my name is Glenn. It has been three-and-half years since my wife, Pam passed away from Alzheimer’s. We were married in 1969, so it was a long time that we had been married. We first learned about her diagnosis only three years prior to her death, so that wasn’t a very long time at all. It was a … Continue reading Things I Miss: Making Every Minute Count
By Brady Jensen My mom’s 10-year decline with Alzheimer’s disease began when she was 55 and ended last year. I miss her more than anything and have for the last few years. On Valentine’s day last year, I was snowed in and started writing down my thoughts. My mom used to make my brothers and me foot-by-foot pink heart-shaped sugar cookies topped with a cursive-frosting … Continue reading My First Valentine: There’s No Love Like a Mother’s Love
By Patti LaFleur, The Longest Day® participant My name is Patti. I am 35. I am a lover, I am a (former) Kindergarten teacher, I am a fantastic friend, a dog mom and a wife to my amazing husband. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I love sharing my journey with others. My husband, my mom, our two bull terriers (Dakota and Sitka) … Continue reading Finding and Sharing Love: The Longest Day
