Elaine Poker-Yount
November celebrates Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. As a Dementia Friendly Community, Aging with Grace Alliance is committed to sharing information and offering classes on various facets of dementia. Our most basic information class is called the Dementia Friend Information Session. It outlines what dementia is, how it affects people, and common symptoms to look for as you may be noticing changes within your friend circle, family, etc.
This class is all about gaining awareness with some very basic, but solid understanding of the condition, and also includes some basic tips you can employ if you find yourself in a situation where someone is having a challenging moment. This class allows you a much better understanding of the condition so you can be a better partner, better friend, better community member.
Dementia Friendly Sun Lakes (part of the Aging with Grace Alliance Arizona) invites you to join us this November in a few events designed to provide better community understanding for those who may be wondering about some changes you may be seeing or experiencing.
On Monday, Nov. 9, Sun Lakes United Methodist Church will host a 90-minute class for everyone who’s ever wondered, “Am I starting to go down that slippery slope that includes some memory challenges?”
Join us for an afternoon class: “Is it Forgetfulness: Or is it Something Else? What’s Actually Normal as We Age and What Really Isn’t?”
We all forget things occasionally, or struggle to find the right words. And yes, we all lose our keys occasionally. When we do these things, we tend to get a little panicky sometimes, especially if we sense it’s happening more often, or if Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia runs in the family. Is this normal, or are we getting close to that dreaded ‘mild cognitive impairment’ stamp on our medical record? Learn the differences between what really is normal at our current stage, and what isn’t, and what other issues present similarly to dementia!
Elaine Poker-Yount, Co-Chair of Dementia Friendly Sun Lakes, will present on this topic, sharing insights, facts, and popular misconceptions. Join us at 1 p.m. in Room 1 of the Education Center, at the north end of the Sun Lakes UMC campus.
RSVPs are required and registration will open 20 minutes early. Call 480-256-2452 or email DFSunLakes@agingwithgraceaz.org.
In addition, go ahead and save the date and mark your calendars now. For those of you who are specifically worried, we will also be offering the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s National Memory Screening Initiative on Tuesday morning, Nov. 24 at Sun Lakes United Methodist Church from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
Members of the community are encouraged to be proactive about memory health by taking advantage of free, confidential memory screenings. Screenings consist of a series of questions and tasks, which take 10 to 15 minutes. Qualified professionals will administer the screenings and be available to answer questions and provide additional information and local resources for aging successfully. Screening results are not a diagnosis, and individuals with below-normal scores or who have concerns are encouraged to pursue a full medical exam. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 480-256-2452 or email DFSunLakes@agingwithgraceaz.org.
Lastly, Neighbors Who Care is offering the Dementia Friend Informational Session on Friday, November 13th and Wednesday, the 18th at their offices—10450 E. Riggs Rd, Suite 113 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RSVP by calling the Neighbors Who Care office at 480-895-7133.