Goal is to improve understanding and awareness of disease

Published: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Updated: Sunday, November 15, 2009 4:09 AM CST

There will be a free educational and informative seminar on Alzheimer’s Wednesday evening at Parkland Health Center in Farmington. The free program will be held in the hospital dining room from 6 to 8 p.m., and will be hosted by the Lead Belt Memory Walk Committee and the St. Louis Region Alzheimer’s Association.  

“We feel it is vital to continue to provide information to improve public understanding and awareness of Alzheimer’s, and to share new information on research and area resources for those diagnosed with the disease and their caregivers,” said Christine Black, committee co-chair.

“Our Memory Walk this year was a great success as more than $40,300 was raised by the Lead Belt Unit, thanks in large part to the exciting Hawaiian Vacation Package raffle,” said Black’s co-chair Torie Young. “We are extremely grateful to former Farmington resident Jerry Stroud and his wife, Marilyn of Fresno, Calif., for donating the use of their vacation home on the big island of Hawaii as the nucleus of the vacation package and Camelot Nursing & Rehab Center for arranging the raffle. Without the generosity of the Strouds, we would not have achieved and passed our fund-raising goal this year.”

Young continued, “We are now committed to raising the awareness of Alzheimer’s in our communities, and spreading the word that it is, indeed, a very serious threat to the health and future of many of our area families. A new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is made ever 70 seconds, and an estimated 66,000 people in the St. Louis Chapter’s region, of which St. Francois County is a part, are now living with this disease, for which there is at present no cure. The number will increase dramatically over the next few years as the Baby Boomer generation grows older.”

The Alzheimer’s seminar will cover the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s; the importance of early detection; helpful tips on how to communicate and keep safe those who have been diagnosed; resources that can provide help and support for caregivers; and research and treatment information.

Speakers for the evening will be Dr. Vikrant Mittal, "MHS, MD, Director of Psychiatry Parkland Health Center, Nancy Birtley, RN., MSN, Geriatric and Alzheimer’s nurse, psychiatric care and wellness specialist, and Stephanie Rohlfs-Young, MSW, Outreach Director, Alzheimer’s Association.

“We hope many of our area residents, especially those who are caregivers or have a family history of Alzheimer’s, will take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the dementia disorder and about support resources available in our area,” Black said.

Advance registration may be made by calling 1-800-272-3900 or online at www.alzstl.org and going to the Lead Belt menu selection.

 

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