Community Announcements

Alzheimer’s Association Presents Virtual Programs

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The Hudson Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association presents a pair of upcoming virtual programs for the public.

Virtual Memory Cafes

The first of a series of Virtual Memory Cafes offered by the Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter is scheduled from 1-2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.

Intended for people with early-stage dementia and their family caregivers, the event will feature a performance by Ricardo and Doug. Ricardo Gautreau has musical influences including jazz, blues, Latin, the Beatles, and more, while Doug Munro has released 11 albums as a leader and appeared in over 60 recordings as a sideman, producer, and arranger with artists including Dr. John, Michael Brecker and Dr. Lonnie Smith.

There will be seven Memory Café sessions held between November and May on the second Thursday of each month (except December, which will be on the third Thursday). December’s session on Thursday, Dec. 15, will feature Music Therapist Melinda Burgard, who has worked with people with Alzheimer’s and other dementia for more than 30 years, leading various Alzheimer’s Association activities such as Music Socials and Wellness Retreat sessions.

Pre-registration is required to participate in this early-stage activity. Please call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900 or click here to schedule a pre-screening appointment and Care Consultation.

Webinar on the Value of Storytelling for Dementia Caregivers

From 2-3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, AlzAuthors co-founder Marianne Sciucco and two other AlzAuthors writers from New York, Daniel Kenner and Kate Hanley, will take part in a virtual panel discussion following a presentation on Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia by Alzheimer’s Association Community Educator Josh Deschino.

“We’re going to talk about the value of storytelling in caregiving,” Sciucco said, adding, “In many ways, there is silence and stigma associated with a dementia diagnosis. Families may not even talk to each other about the realities of the experience. We find that when people are able to share their experiences — whether it’s in a support group or the community, with your coworkers, your neighbors, or the people in your church — it makes it easier to deal with. Writing about it is very therapeutic, even if people don’t want to share it. A lot of the books were written from those writings, from people’s diaries and journals.”

She added that when people with the disease write about their experiences, it can also offer a valuable perspective.

“We are very blessed when we can get insight from a person living with dementia. We have several books in our collection either by the person with the disease or written for that person by a professional author. They are amazing books that tell us so much that otherwise is lost. We feature a lot of them on our podcast so we can share their stories. It’s obviously people in the early to middle stages, who are able to articulate what it’s like to live in their head, and what it’s like to experience the losses associated with the disease.”

To learn more about AlzAuthors, visit AlzAuthors.com. There you can access links to their Amazon store, their Custom Caregiver Collections, and more. To learn more about and register for the virtual panel discussion on Nov. 15, click here or call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800.272.3900.

This is a press release provided by the organization. It has been lightly edited and is being published by Examiner Media as a public service.

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