Volume 2 Issue 6 | June 2019

This Is Alzheimers Coachella Valley!Club Journey Open All Summer!

ACV Wins Desert Health Wellness Award!Alzheimers Coachella Valley winsNonprofit of the Year at DesertHealth News' Wellness Awards!

Alzheimers Coachella Valley came away a winnerat the sold-out Desert Health Wellness Awardsevent, May 22, at The S at Rancho Mirage.

Facing some top contenders -- Chabad of RanchoMirage and Desert Regional Medical Center NICUVolunteer Cuddlers -- ACV was named Nonprofitof the Year!

(Top photo) Board members Pat Kaplan (left),Edie Keller (center) and Dom Calvano accept thebeautiful sculptural trophy from LaurenSteadman, (second left) Desert Health NewsFounder. Our favorite MC, Janet Zappala, was theannouncer.

(Bottom) Our ACV board members (center) standwith other award winners (from left) AndresCastaneda, Youth Award; Gerry Washack, Fit in42, Business Award; Valeria Batross, Fitness &Wellness Director at Sun City Shadow Hills,Individual award; William Grimm, DO, IntegrativePractitioner; and Annmarie Lynn, accepting aspecial postumus tribute to Denise DuBarry Hay,community health advocate.

We are grateful for the accolades and recognitionof our growth and progress in providing innovativeprograms to our local families facing neurocognitive impairment.

Connecting in the Community

Dom Calvano and Pat Kaplan staffed the ACVbooth during a recent talk on Alzheimer's by Dr.Anthony Bassanelli, geriatric psychiatrist.

The event was sponsored by Caleo Bay and heldin the La Quinta Wellness and Senior Center.Nearly 100 attended the talk and discussion duringwhich Dr. Bassanelli described the currentmedications and treatments for Alzheimer's.

Health Fair at Brookdale RanchoMirage

During a special Memorial Day week health fair atBrookdale Rancho Mirage, Dom Calvano and PatKaplan greeted visitors and gave out informationabout ACV's programs and services from a shadedspot by the community's entrance.

Our Programs

Travel the Journey Together will start up again in the Fall.

The spring session concluded with Mel Robertson offering ideas andways to declutter your life followed by Pat Kaplan discussing living withAlzheimer's and day care options.

While TTJT ends until the fall, all participants are welcome to attendClub Journey which continues throughout the summer.

Club Journey is a social-interactive program for both caregivers andloved ones with cognitive impairment in a safe, comfortable and funsetting.

Mel Robertson of De-Cluttering Spaces, talks about de-cluttering your life to reduce stress during a recent TravelingThe Journey Together session. Her subject matter includedclearing emotional, physical and mental clutter as well astime management and accountability.

Susan Maderick and Trudi Licht enjoy a discussion withsome of our Traveling the Journey Together participantsduring the season.

Join us every Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at TheClub All Summer Long!

Each week our Club Journey membersenjoy social time, gentle exercises, funactivities and lunch. Enjoy a glimpse ofsome recent activities!

Congratulations Bob Barrett!

On April 9, The Riverside County Council ofVolunteers selected Robert Barrett, MediationProgram volunteer, as a Volunteer of the Year forRUHS-Public Health & Community ActionPartnership. Seen here at Club Journey, Bob andBarbara are active members of ACV.Congratulations, Bob!

Edwina Dirk, RN, developed andteaches the 27-class DementiaCaregiver Training series which isCalifornia state-approved forprofessional Continuing EducationUnits. Classes are held in theAlzheimers Coachella Valley classroom.

ACV Dementia TrainingCertification

Each month our Dementia TrainingClasses, attended by some 30 students,are held the last Thursday of eachmonth, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Professional CNA & HHA caregiverscan earn Continuing Education Units,one unit per each hour-long class.Classes are free and advancesignups are required.

Call our office at 760-776-3100 toregister for our next class on Thursday,

June 27: "How to Care for Clientswith inappropriate behavior."

Featured Support Groups

Mizell Center Support Group

In Palm Springs, the Mizell Center's Alzheimer'sCaregiver Support Group meets every Thursday,10:30 a.m. to noon. It is the largest of ACV'ssupport groups currently hosting some 15 to 20caregivers each week. Many of the caregivershave enjoyed the fun and social activities at ClubJourney with their loved ones.

Dee Wieringa, general manager of BellaVillaggia, and Donald Beck, co-facilitatethe Parkinson's Support Group, nowmeeting every Tuesday, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.in the ACV offices.

Parkinson's Support Group Now atACV

Donald Beck has been involved in the Parkinson’ssupport group since 2008 when it met atEisenhower Medical Center, as it was theirprogram at first. Donald became facilitator of thegroup in 2010 when it left Eisenhower and startedmeeting on its own at the Alzheimer’s Association,then in Rancho Mirage. Donald became more involved withthe Alzheimer’s Association, leading talks to clubsand organizations, as well as involved with thestart of the Dementia Friendly Cafe and, later,launching Alzheimers Coachella Valley. But withhis partner Geoffrey’s advancing Parkinson’sdisease, Donald stopped most of his volunteering,except for the PD support group that they bothattended. The group had been meeting at the BrailleInstitute, but recently transferred to the ACV office,continuing to provide free services to both patientsand caregivers.

New Facilitators Join ACV

Two new support group facilitators,Richard Gray (center, back) andSandie Young (second, right), andinstructor Judy Rhodes, RN (second,left) will expand ACV's support groupsand offer a new program. Judy will beteaching "Meaningful Communicationwith a Cognitively Impaired Person."The three met recently with ChuckOlsen and Pat Kaplan for an overviewsession on Alzheimer's/dementia.

Volunteer Spotlight

"Mother, I thought when one got older, onemellowed???!"

"No, they don't! Any more stupid questions?!"

"Mr. Olsen, it is the medication talking, notyour mother."

"No, that's her! She is still in there."

This was 24 years ago on the last day I saw myMother who, I found out later, had dementia.

That day was when the seed was planted thateach individual with the diagnosis has a story totell but, because of their ailment and lack of brainreceptors, they cannot.

I have always had interest in the lives of those whocannot express themselves. My career of 45 yearsin theatre have taught me one thing....HOW TOLISTEN!

I have been a hospice volunteer for about 7 years;and with Family Hospice for the last 4 years. As avolunteer, I would visit the patients and keep themcompany for an hour or so.

In Los Angeles as a hospice volunteer I couldreport my observations of the patient's surroundingor their mood or concerns. When I began hospicevolunteer work with Family Hospice, Medicarestated "volunteers were not authorized to expresschanges or improvements of the patient" becausethey are not "qualified" or have the propereducation. This was very distressing to me. I began to volunteer at the Rancho MirageAlzheimer's office when Anne Gimbel was there. Ico-facilitated with Ann O'Keefe and began to hearthe stories and frustrations of the caregivers. I wasoffered to take over the support group headed byKae Hammond at the Spiritual Living Center. Itwas not an easy transfer because Kae had herfollowers and I was not a follower. Fortunately thatgroup has grown and we are now at the ACVoffice; a few from the original group haveremained. I found my theatre background helped me inconducting the support groups. In theatre we have

Chuck Olsen, Support GroupFacilitator

Volunteer Chuck Olsen is the leadfacilitator for three of ACV's supportgroups: The Wednesday morning group, 9to 11 a.m. at the ACV office, Wednesdayafternoon, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at BellaVillaggio, and Thursday morning, 10:30a.m. to noon at Mizell Senior Center inPalm Springs.

We asked Chuck what inspires him to leadcaregiver support groups, and his answerwas poignant and profound. Enjoy theread...

"THE ONLY MAN WHO BEHAVES SENSIBLY ISMY TAILOR; HE TAKES MY MEASUREMENTS

ANEW EACH TIME HE SEES ME. THE REST GOON WITH THEIR OLD MEASUREMENTS AND

EXPECT ME TO FIT THEM."

-- George Bernard Shaw

As a facilitator, I allow a caregiver to express thesituation they find themselves, what are theroadblocks and frustrations, and what isoverwhelming for them now.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE DISCOVERWHAT THEY ARE FEELING, NOT TO MAKE THE

FEELINGS GO AWAY..

Many times another caregiver has had the samesituation and they will express how they were ableto handle it. First they had to accept it! Manysuggestions may be stated but as a facilitator Imay make a suggestion but will not give a definiteanswer.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFYTHEIR OPTIONS, NOT TO DECIDE FOR THEM

WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.

As a facilitator one has to remember those optionsdiscussed and maybe a few weeks later havefound an alternative. Many times the caregiver willstate: "I never thought of it that way" or "I thought iwas the only one going through this with myspouse"

As a facilitator:

IT'S NOT IMPORTANT THAT I UNDERSTANDEVERYTHING. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I

LISTEN.

production meetings and the team that isassembled is the director, designers, producer andthe production manager/director.

I consider the caregiver the director: he/she haspicked a story to tell (his/her life) and has cast it(his/her spouse). The theatre team (the supportgroup) has been assembled because a problemhas come up and a solution is needed. Theleading actor of the story is no longer capable ofperforming the role and there is no understudy.

The team makes suggestions: adapt the story tothe capabilities of the leading actor. Market thestory to a select audience and educate those thatattend the performance. The production manager(the facilitator) will gather all the ideas and thenquestion the suggestions as to how they can beaccomplished.

The team may have different opinions how theywould handle it if it was their story, but they arehere to have one director's story told andaccepted.

WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN, NOT TO WORKMIRACLES.

At each support group I walk away that I havelearned something and that I may have helpedsomeone feel a bit less overwhelmed. I learn morefrom the caregivers than the reading I have done.

My motto:LEADERSHIP IS NOT BEING THE BEST

LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT MAKING EVERYONEELSE BETTER

The one phrase I cannot get out of my head whenI listen to a frustrated caregiver is:

ONE CANNOT SAY 'GOODBYE' UNTIL THEYSAY 'HELLO'.

Would You Like to be Involved?We need more volunteers to help with hands-onprograms like Club Journey, monthly art classes,helping check students in before and afterDementai Caregiver Training classes. And, ofcourse, office administration to keep things runningsmoothly.

Pictured right, top, Club Journey volunteerCandace Groberman enjoys color pencil art workwhile chatting with participants at her table. And,bottom, four of our volunteers attending thePIRCH fundraiser in April are (from left) DinaSilverman, board secretary Deirdre Floyd,Maryann Soran and Marylou Sullivan.

In the fall, we expect to announce expansion ofClub Journey to two days a week, adding a newmonthly Bereavement support group, and a newclass, "Meaningful Communication with aCognitively Impaired Person."

Thanks to our successful fundraiser, we are ableto extend services and programs to even morefamilies who are struggling with Alzheimer's andrelated dementia.

We invite you to become one of our treasuredVolunteers. Let us know about your talents andinterests! We'll provide training and support.

Call 760-776-3100 for more information and toschedule a visit!

Become A FRIEND OF ACV

Make a big difference in the lives of those withAlzheimer’s/Dementia and their families bybecoming a DONOR through our Friends ofACV program!

Starting at just $50 per month or more, yourdonation is tax deductible and goes towardsmaintaining our office operations andprograms. You may be eligible for a logo capor jacket depending on your Friendship level.

Call (760) 776-3100 and find out how you canbecome a FRIEND OF ACV today!

Become a Donor

Alzheimers Coachella Valley | 760-776-3100 | info@cvalzheimers.org | Website

STAY CONNECTED

Visit our Website