Caregiving for Someone with Alzheimer’s: Consider your health

We start out with selfless generosity. We urge and nudge gently with care and concern. We have no idea what lies ahead. The present consumes us as we take on more tasks, more chores, more of everything to do. Continue reading Caregiving for Someone with Alzheimer’s: Consider your health

Exercise for your brain and body

Physical activity is a valuable part of any overall wellness plan and is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. The new year is a great time to start integrating exercise into your daily life to help improve the health of your brain and body. Continue reading Exercise for your brain and body

treadmills

Finding hope after my diagnosis

By: David H. Brown The neurologist said three simple words and asked me to repeat them. They were “apple,” “tree” and “desk” — or something like that. Single-syllable nouns. Then he asked me to repeat them. And then he asked me to repeat them again. After five, six or maybe more times, I thought it was getting a little silly, but he continued.   He … Continue reading Finding hope after my diagnosis

Public Policy Town Halls 2018

Each fall, the Alzheimer’s Association, Washington State Chapter hosts a series of Town Halls across Washington State and northern Idaho. These community events are a unique opportunity for constituents to hear from and ask questions of local leaders about public policy related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Here are few of topics being covered at our Town Halls this year: Increases to Research Funding The … Continue reading Public Policy Town Halls 2018

Central WA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Conference Preview: Advanced Care Planning for Dementia with Dr. Barak Gaster, MD.

By Genevieve Wanucha, UW Memory and Brain Wellness Center Primary care doctors are usually the first medical professionals to identify age-related cognitive impairment in their patients, field questions about Alzheimer’s disease, and make referrals to specialty neurology centers. A conversation in the doctor’s office about memory loss and dementia can position a patient and the family to receive quality care and plan ahead for important … Continue reading Central WA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Conference Preview: Advanced Care Planning for Dementia with Dr. Barak Gaster, MD.

Sara

Mark Holtzen is a Seattle author whose mother-in-law, Sara, lives with Alzheimer’s disease. When the day came that Sara was moving into an assisted living facility, Mark’s wife, Carolyn, and her siblings were coordinating the move. While Carolyn and her siblings were packing up Sara’s belongings, Mark and Sara spent the day together in Seattle. Mark noticed how Sara was handling the weight of the … Continue reading Sara

Highlights from Presenting at AAIC

By Briana Lee Last month, the largest international meeting on Alzheimer’s disease took place in Chicago, Illinois. As my first conference, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) was an intense and inspiring experience for me. I had the opportunity to learn of cutting-edge research by leading scientists in the biomedical and Alzheimer’s disease research field. I presented my own project investigating how brain imaging may be … Continue reading Highlights from Presenting at AAIC

Granny Can’t Remember Me

Susan McCormick is a doctor in Seattle and the author of a new children’s picture book about Alzheimer’s disease called Granny Can’t Remember Me. She will be doing a live reading at Third Place Books in Seward Park on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3:00 p.m. You can also learn more by visiting her online at susanmccormickbooks.com. In this guest blog post, Susan shares her personal connection to Alzheimer’s … Continue reading Granny Can’t Remember Me

Beth Lewis – Why I Walk

Agnes Lesofski always put her family first. After her husband of 21 years passed away, the now-single mother of seven enrolled in night classes while working as a homemaker to support the five children who were still living at home. One of those children was Beth Lewis, now living in Spokane Valley, who greatly values the sacrifices her mother made. “She was my mother and … Continue reading Beth Lewis – Why I Walk

Kathy Katz – Why I Walk

Kathy Katz and Tim Oshie have known each other for 29 years. Kathy met Tim through her late husband. “We actually met at my wedding,“ Kathy says. “Tim and my husband were really good friends in high school. Back in the day, Tim was a disc jockey and he deejayed our wedding for us. That was the first time that I met him.” Kathy and … Continue reading Kathy Katz – Why I Walk