The monthly support group of the E. A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center will present Jennifer Fleming, Community Liaison of Allen Memorial Home.  She will talk about “How to be Prepared for a Nursing Home”.  The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 10:00am.

Complimentary care will be provided during the meeting.  Please call 435-6950 for more information.

You are invited to attend the Dementia and Alzheimer Information Workshop hosted by Catholic Social Services of Mobile.  The presenters will be Della Sanchez, LGSW, Alabama Cares Coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging and Gina Germany, President, Touching Hearts Senior Care.  Deacon George Yeend of St. Lawrence Parish will lead in prayer and reflection.

This workshop will be beneficial for caregivers, family members, Ministers for the Sick, Clergy and anyone who is interested in Dementia/Alzheimer disease.

The program will be presented twice on Thursday, April 10th at either 10am to noon or 6pm to 8pm at St. Pius X Santo Center on 217 Sage Avenue, Mobile, AL.

For information, please call Ruth Breland, Director of the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities – 251-434-1550.

Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert

 Gulf Coast Dementia Conference is being held April 18, 2014 at the DePaul Center at Providence Hospital. Touching Hearts Senior Care, and Mercy Life of Alabama  are currently the main sponsors of the first ever conference in Lower Alabama.

Renowned Dementia expert, Teepa Snow, will be the instructor and provide professionals with CEUs. This is a conference you do not want to miss. Teepa will speak candidly to the audience regarding the ABC’s of Dementia, Understanding the Different Dementias and why do they do that? She will also discuss communication skills and challenging behaviors.

This is a free conference and seats are more than half full, now is the time to register.

You can register online or call Gina Germany at her office 251-445-4204.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition of South Alabama

April 2014

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition of 

South Alabama and our partners invite you to attend 

their community meeting on 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014 

Five Rivers Resource Center– Blakely Hall 

30945 Five Rivers Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL 36526 

10:00 am—11:30 am 

10:00 a.m. Greetings – Julie McGee, Director, Area Agency on Aging

Discussion of Survey

10:15 a.m. Agency Announcements –Coalition Members

10:30 a.m. Senior Resource Guide information and 2014 Senior Expo

Gay Watson, Outreach Coordinator

10:45 a.m. Caregiver College Announcement,

Della Sanchez, AL Cares Coordinator

11:30 a.m. Adjourn

Area Agency on Aging – 251-706-4650

Della Sanchez, LGSW, AL Cares Coordinator

We lost a friend today.  The halls are too quiet without the loud voice of the one who spoke for us all when she’d yell, ”Shut up!”  at the irritating cacophony of beeps and call alarms alerting, that are part of daily life in a nursing home.

Hazel was a ready source of entertainment and expressed love to anyone whom she deemed worthy.  I was a willing recipient.  We spent many an afternoon in the west wing day room, surrounded by family and friends, enjoying the banter between Sheila and Hazel, while listening to the comedic comments of Steve Harvey as he hosted Family Feud.

I would stay in her proximity even to the chagrin on my mother.  Hazel knew me as “a nice girl” that she “loved very much.” She would confide to anyone who would listen as I walked away from her that she loved me and I loved her, too. Not only did I enjoy being around Hazel, but grew to know and love her family as well.  They told me that this Hazel was quite unlike her  “old” self.  Before succumbing to Alzheimer’s disease, she was a quiet person – nothing like the incessant dancer, unpredictable talker and open expresser of love that developed.

As it is with Alzheimer’s disease, time changes things.   Hazel’s contributions began to slow and her interaction waned.  She began to have fewer “good” days and more “bad” days.   We watched her fade before our eyes.  I visited her at her bedside as her granddaughter kept vigil.  “I’ll Fly Away” was the song that flowed from my lips to her ears.  She listened to my voice as she had many times before.  By the next day, her daughter had arrived to see her off.  After considering what kind of music Hazel liked, we broke out in singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag”.  Uncanny, we both knew all the words and moved on to “God Bless America”.  Hazel’s son watched in amusement.  Hazel seemed to enjoy the attention and we enjoyed the camaraderie.

Then she was gone – but only out of sight.  She arrived at her final destination March 13^th 2014, in the morning hours, before her family was able to get there.  She slipped off while no one was looking.  A quiet exit for someone who had been so out spoken while I knew her.

Farewell dear friend.  I will miss your laugh, your smile, and the endless string of words that only you could weave.  You made life better on the west wing.

I love you, Hazel.