How do you find resources and information to help care for families dealing with a senior loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia? Alexis Bonoff, Program Director of the Alzheimer’s Association in Washington state, joins Suzanne to talk about how to find information, their 24/7 hotline, and more.
Alexis says, “The Walk is a great joy. It’s a celebration. It’s something that you can do to think about somebody who’s going through it right now. You can do it to celebrate somebody who’s passed on. But it’s also about hope, because we’re looking at the future, we’re looking at research, we’re also there to survey the people who won’t have to go through it at all, because the cure is just around the corner and we’re working on it. We’re so close.
“You have people participating from all walks of life. And the thing that I love about it is the camaraderie, the connection to people that are kind of in the same boat, they all have their own personal stories. That’s the the powerful part of the walk, of being involved. But there’s also opportunities elsewhere, like virtual support groups, the hotline 800 number. Also we have a community resource finder on our website at alz.org/CRF, community resource finder. It’ll tell you about any new programs coming up, the Walks, basically anything in your area that’s happening. And it also can give you links to other resources, like a care facility, or maybe a neurologist in your area.”
“I know a lot of people can be scared to go to a support group. But really, we’re there to listen, and we’re there to help. If you’re nervous about it, just show up. We hear you, we want to listen to you.”
Visit alz.org/walk and enter your zip code to find the Walk nearest you to register or donate. Check out alz.org to learn more. Reach master level clinicians at their 24/7 help line at 800-272-3900.
Hear more podcasts about the Walks.
* Check out our affiliate podcast Alzheimer’s Speaks: https://alzheimersspeaks.com
