Get involved this Alzheimer's Day

Sept. 18--World Alzheimer's Day is Thursday -- part of World Alzheimer's Month -- and Rochester residents have a few opportunities to do some good.

Learn: Home Instead Senior Care is holding an Alzheimer's Learning Day on Thursday, where people all over the U.S. can log on to alzlearn.com and choose easy ways to inform themselves and others.

Self-education is a strong first step, according to Karen Hanson, community service manager for Home Instead Senior Care.

"Bring good to someone's day, or education to yourself," Hanson said.

Home Instead is promoting its Thursday afternoon web seminars -- one for family members, and one for professionals.

"I think there's such a lack of knowledge about the disease and what they can do," Hanson said. "It doesn't have to be anything big -- just learn."

In addition to Home Instead's seminars, the Rochester chapter of ACT on Alzheimer's will also offer Alzheimer's-focused educational events this week, with two Dementia Friends sessions: one at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Dunn Brothers, 120 Elton Hills Drive NW, and one at noon Thursday, Sept. 28, at Elder Network, 1130-1/2 Seventh St. NW. More info: www.actonalz.org/dementia-friends-information-sessions.

Dementia Friends sessions are one-hour meetings with a professional, where attendees learn about dementia and how it manifests, go over communication strategies, and brainstorm practical ways to reach out to someone with the disease, said Lynne Hemann, the co-leader of the ACT on Alzheimer's group.

"Oftentimes, they say, 'You know, I have a family friend with Alzheimer's, and I'm going to invite them to dinner," Hemann said.

Visit: Hemann and Hanson also encourage people to visit friends, relatives or other people who have Alzheimer's Disease.

Usually, the people who attend ACT on Alzheimer's sessions know someone with dementia. Hemann says she likes to reduce stigma around the disease and remind friends and family members that people with dementia can still "live a quality life."

"It's a very isolating diagnosis," Hemann said. "Their friends find out and don't know how to talk to them."

There are more than 7,000 Dementia Friends in the state of Minnesota now, Hemann said. About 500 live in Rochester. And there are about 91,000 people with Alzheimer's in Minnesota, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Hanson, whose mother has had dementia for six years, usually gets two visits a day -- one from Hanson, who reads her devotions every morning, and one from Hanson's sister.

"It's something that she just so enjoys," Hanson said.

Share: In October, ACT on Alzheimer's plans to restart Memory Cafes at Dunn Brothers Coffee -- a social time for people with dementia and caregivers that they held in the past.

The group is also in the beginning stages of forming a chorus of people with dementia and their caregivers: working name, "Resounding Voices."

"There's something about music," Hemann said. "It's one of the pieces of memory that stays longest because it's stored differently than fact are." FACTS?

Another way to share? Simply share your experiences and thoughts about this month's events, or Alzheimer's Disease generally, on social media.

"We just want to be very supportive of people with dementia and make sure they feel like a valued part of our community," Hemann said.

Give: Participants can also pledge money to Alzheimer's walks, which are raising money from now until the end of the year. Learn more online: act.alz.org.

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Get involved

-- Find out more about Home Instead's Thursday webinars at alzlearn.com, or call Home Instead Senior Care, 507-285-1700.

-- Attend an ACT on Alzheimer's Dementia Friends session. They are:

--1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Dunn Brothers, 120 Elton Hills Drive NW

--noon Thursday, Sept. 28, at Elder Network, 1130-1/2 Seventh St. NW.

-- Businesses can contact Elder Network, 507-285-5272, to set up their own sessions as well.

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