FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION, NYC CHAPTER Utility bills are piling up in the sock drawer. You found shoes in the freezer? It’s Never Too Early (Or Too Late) To Talk About Alzheimer’s Support Dad went to buy milk for the fifth time today. The cat was fed ten times SUMMER 2016 today! • SAVE THE DATE! Annual Meeting - 10/18/16 Traumatic Brain Injury: Prevention, Treatment, and the Consequences p.23 1 Board of Directors Executive Staff Stephen P. Casper Lou-Ellen Barkan Carol Berne Co-Chair President & Chief Executive Officer Senior Vice President of Development John R. Latham Jed A. Levine Matt Kudish Co-Chair Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President of Caregiver Services Director of Programs & Services Sharon K. Kilmer Steve Maggio Vice Chair & Treasurer Peggy Chu Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Senior Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer Pauline Yeung-Ha Secretary Staff Directors Abigail Nathanson Elvira Bisignano Director of Support Groups Jennifer Balka Marissa Wright Constituent Events Associate Social Worker William M. Brachfeld Alex Wong Steven E. Boxer Financial Analyst Jennifer Camper Meredith Wong Ari F. Cohen Graphic Designer Manager of connect2culture® Douglas Cowieson Amy Torres Marianne Dziuba-Fiore Director of Training Jessica Herold Minnelly Vasquez Helpline Specialist Helpline Associate Lori Oscher Friedman Ana M. Araujo Nathan Halegua Social Worker Jori R. Schwartz Niurqui Mariano Jonathan S. Henes Respite Specialist Manager of Healthcare Outreach Peter J. Hill Ann Margaret Schoemaker Senior Donor Services Associate Joyce Koshy Patrice Crocevera Benjamin J. Jenkins Manager of Human Resources Coordinator of Program Jeffrey N. Jones Anne M. Foerg Evaluation Linda LaGorga Director of Social Work Juan Carlos Rojas J. Francis Lavelle Dementia Care Trainer Paula Rice Aaron H. Marks Asif Baksh Manger of African American Vice President of IT & Digital Julie Wang Outreach Anne McBride Schreiber Media Coordinator of Training Wayne S. Miller Rashidah Daniels Abraham Podolsky Bart Gentile Kelly Keenan Administrative Assistant, Louis Salerno Systems Administrator Marketing & Communications Wanderer's Safey Program Mike Schnitzer Associate Brenda Green Rita Greenfield Elaine Thomas Staten Island Outreach Social Larry Ng Social Worker David L. Weinberg Worker Donor Services Associate Mark A. Zurack Roberto Reyes Candace Douglas Lateefah Morse Manager of Latino Outreach Director of Constituent Events Grants Manager Emeritus Ruby Fernandez-Brown Cecibell Montalban Lauren Volkmer Helpline Specialist Marilyn L. Cohen MedicAlert Wanderer’s Safety Director of Early Stage Center Sunnie Kenowsky Irving, DVM Program Associate Sandra Martinez Susan V. Kayser, Esq. Linda Centeno Manager of Donor Services Heath B. McLendon Cheshire Schanker Executive Assistant Queens Outreach Social Worker Serene Nie Lonnie Nemiroff Social Worker Ex Officio Chris Doucette Early Stage Center Social Laurel Crosby Director of Administration Worker Stephanie Aragon (Junior Committee) Director of Helpline Crissy Vicendese Lori Randall Senior Development Associate Dementia Care Trainer Suzanne Metzger Director of Constituent & Public Relations Danielle Bruzese Lorna Walcott-Brown Corporate Engagement LAK Public Relations, Inc. Manager of Marketing & Brooklyn Dementia Care Communications Specialist Tatiana Vivieca Copy Editor Executive Assistant Jenna Hammond Danielle Robitaille Maggie Marra Vice President of Marketing & Helpline Specialist Weijing Shi Photographer Communications Manager of Chinese Outreach Ron Glassman Makaria Martin-William DaQuan McKie Accounts Payable Associate Xue Mei www.caringkindnyc.org Administration Assistant Senior Accountant 24-hour Helpline: 646-744-2900 Marcia Henne Ed Cisek Receptionist Yvette Bynoe Join us: Vice President of Program Manager of Concierge Services facebook.com/caringkindnyc Evaluation Marcia Langhoff twitter.com/caringkindnyc Senior Executive Assistant instagram.com/caringkindnyc Elizabeth Bravo Santiago Director of Wanderer's Safety Maria Mursch CaringKind does not endorse products, manufacturers Program Manager of Early Stage Center or services. Such names appear here solely because they are considered valuable as information. The Fran Koleba Marilucy Lopes organization assumes no liability for the use or content Receptionist Manager of Education of any product or service mentioned. 2 24-Hour Helpline 646-744-2900 In This Edition 4 President's Message 5 From the Program Director 6 Feature 8 Early Stage Center 9 New York State Grant 10 Wanderer's Safety Program 11 Support Groups 12 News You Can Use Interview with Dr. Richard Isaacson p. 6 14 Palliative Care 15 Dear Helpline 16 CaringKind in the News 17 Charles Evans Lecture 18 Development Update 19 Planned Giving 20 Forget-Me-Not Gala 22 Bryant Park Memory Chairs Driving and Dementia p. 12 23 Annual Meeting 24 Together We Care 25 Choosing a Nursing Home 26 Advance Directives 27 connect2culture 28 Junior Committee 30 Athletes to End Alzheimer's 32 CaringKind Alzheimer's Walk 34 Summer/Fall 2016 Calendar CaringKind Alzheimer's Walk p. 32 caringkindnyc.org 3 President’s Message Dear Friends, You’re on your way home from work when your wife calls and asks you to stop at the corner grocery store to pick up some milk. You oblige. The store owner, who’s known you for LOU-ELLEN BARKAN years, looks puzzled. He confides that your wife has been in President & CEO [email protected] the store three times today—for milk. Your father has Alzheimer’s. He no longer recognizes you. He’s increasingly paranoid. When he speaks, he makes no sense. He can’t get around. You feel lost and alone. No matter where you are on your I was blessed, however, to have Since its founding in 2004, Cure caregiving journey, it is never too CaringKind professionals help me Alzheimer’s Fund has contributed early — or too late — to talk to the navigate some very difficult decisions more than $38 million to research, professionals at CaringKind. Whether at the end of my mother’s life. Looking with 100% of every dollar raised you have a suspicion that something back, I now know that I should have going directly to fund some of the might be wrong with a family member sought help much sooner than I did. best scientific minds in the world. or friend or whether you’ve been But the important point is that I Even though our partnership is just struggling on your own for years asked for help. And when I did, I was launching, it’s not too early for me to say caring for someone who has dementia, able to care for my mom with greater thank you to CEO Tim Armour and his don't be afraid to ask for help. You confidence and less stress. Each team for working with us to create this don’t have to travel this road alone. day was easier for me and for her. exciting new care and cure alliance. A compassionate, trained CaringKind The second hat is one I wear proudly: I see clearly that great things are Helpline Specialist is always available President and CEO of CaringKind. ahead for CaringKind. In the eight to talk to you at 646-744-2900, 365 As we have moved through this time months since we returned to our roots days a year, 24 hours a day, in more of significant change, your message as an independent, local organization, than 200 languages. That first call came through loud and clear. You told calls to our 24-hour Helpline, program introduces you to a community of us unanimously that you stand by our participation, client interactions with people who have walked in your decision to focus on the best therapy social workers, and, most importantly, shoes and understand what you’re available today: good caregiving. awareness of who we are and what going through. Our free educational we do are all dramatically up. programs, support groups, social So, almost a year into this very work services, and arts programs exciting transition, it’s not too late We know this also means the will envelop you in a world of care for me to say THANK YOU. Whether community’s need is growing. So that will ease your burden and you are an individual donor, corporate please remember, it’s never too make each day a little brighter. supporter, foundation or government early or too late to ask for and get official, your generosity is the driving our help, to become a CaringKind As many of you know, I wear two force that allows us to create a world supporter, or to become an advocate hats in the world of Alzheimer’s where the stigma of an Alzheimer’s for good care. We are here for all caregiving. First, I was a caregiver or dementia diagnosis no longer New Yorkers. We are here for you. for my parents, both of whom had forces families to retreat within and dementia. And, even though I was in where no one is afraid to ask for help. charge of this incredible organization that provides superb support to Our disaffiliation from the national NYC’s Alzheimer’s community, when Alzheimer’s Association has also it came to making critical decisions allowed us to form an alliance with about my mother's care, I was shocked an extraordinary new research to learn how much I didn't know. organization, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. 4 24-Hour Helpline 646-744-2900 From the Program Director Dear Readers, The explicit message of our recent and very successful subway ad campaign funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Health was, “It’s never too early or too late to JED A. LEVINE ask for Alzheimer’s support.” The implicit message is that the Executive Vice President, Director of Programs & Services timing of when to reach out for help is highly personal, both for [email protected] the person who is diagnosed and his or her family. Some go into action immediately, • Enroll the person you are caring for and to engage in stimulating and seeking help, looking for resources and in the MedicAlert® NYC Wanderer’s enriching (not to mention, fun!) information, and creating a plan.