Senior Living Network

Well, we completed another successful year for the Senior Living Network. I worked with my friend and co-chair Renee to solicit sponsors and donations for three events...our Alzheimer's awareness walk that took place in March, the Alzheimer's Educational Forum that we put on in June, and last, but certainly not least, the Senior Living Network Fashion Show and Luncheon that took place a few weeks ago.

Phew! It has been a lot of work in this tough economy. Donations were not what we would like them to be, but we have high hopes that this coming year will be easier and better. And now we get to start on another year! For those who are unaware, the Senior Living Network is made up of a group of volunteers, all professionals who work with and for the senior community in our area. The organization's mission statement is "to raise funds and awareness through education for Alzheimer's disease and related dementia." The funds are divided between three organizations...UCSF Fresno Alzheimer's & Memory Center, OASIS (Older Adult Social Services), and the Alzheimer's Foundation of Central California.

I've been the fundraising chair/co-chair for three years now. I took it on shortly after my own grandfather, who had Alzheimer's disease, died. It is interesting that all these years I have worked with individuals and families to provide care for clients who had varying types and stages of dementia, and yet when it struck in my own family, I was unprepared for the emotional impact it would have on all of us. Practically, I could tell my mom what to do to ensure that my grandfather couldn't drive after he became dangerous on the road. I could also comfort her that his accusations of theft and his paranoia were products of dementia, and not to take them personally. I could advise her on how to handle his hoarding behaviors. And I could even help her through the process of what to do for my uncle, who has several disabilities, once my grandfather could no longer care for him. But seeing the impact of it, losing him day by day...it was still devastating. Fortunately my grandfather did not linger on for years with Alzheimer's. He had other health issues that first made it impossible to communicate and later took his life before we had to endure the difficulties and challenges of advanced dementia.

Alzheimer's is one of the cruelest diseases, in my opinion. It takes away a loved one bit by bit. Because a person can otherwise be healthy, the disease can progress for years and years. Its toll on families and on individuals who care for someone with Alzheimer's is immense. They mourn the losses, big and small, of the parts of the person they've loved for years as each day passes. As the brain deteriorates, it can seem as if they are left with just the shell and the thankless, unending care of someone who is increasingly mentally absent. The caregivers are plagued with exhaustion, especially if they're unable to get respite care to give them a break from their duties. It's a 24 hour a day responsibility and seldom offers chances for uninterrupted sleep for the caregiver.

The only comfort I can find when I'm faced with a family dealing with this terrible disease is the assurances that my faith brings me. I know that we live upon this imperfect world in bodies that are subject to the frailties of the flesh. I know that when our spirits inhabit these bodies, that whatever happens to them tests us and others around us. Our resilience, our testimonies, our determination to remain faithful, our willingness to love and serve others can be strengthened or weakened by how we respond to these challenges. And in the case of Alzheimer's, where our brain physically changes and behavior is affected, I cling to the knowledge that inside, the spirit and the essence of who a person is remains unchanged. I stand certain that even if a beloved family member no longer recognizes us in this existence, in the hereafter, they will certainly remember us and love us for the sacrifices we have made in caring for them, despite the terrible toll it takes on every level. And when we are resurrected, our bodies will no longer subject to illness or disease and will be whole and all of our faculties restored.

I love working with this group of professionals, and making an impact, however small, that connects families dealing with Alzheimer's to support, help, and hope. Our next event takes place on April 2, 2010...it will be our Alzheimer's Awareness walk at Woodward park. Won't you join us?