Joy, one of our dedicated support group leaders recently passed along this note to us about her sister, Lynda, whose husband recently had died after battling Alzheimer’s disease. After his death, Lynda decided to donate all of his dental equipment. When others offered to pay for some of the expensive equipment, Lynda suggested they make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association, Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter in honor of her late husband.

My sister, Lynda, was a full time caregiver to her husband, Stan, for more than four years. He
was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and her life was dedicated to his care. Before this disease
hit him, he was a successful dentist and continued his practice through the age of 78. Once he retired, he chose to do many things… instead the dementia decided to take over him and progressed rapidly.

As Lynda began to see the signs of dementia influencing Stan’s life, she committed to
care for him at home in a familiar environment. Thus began her journey. As the
disease took over, she faced it with courage and fortitude, knowing this was important
for Stan’s well-being and care. There were times when he was not happy with having the
disease. He never wanted to burden her with the problems that came with being a caregiver.
Lynda, however, looked beyond that and lovingly cared for him all the way to the end
of his journey. She unselfishly made sure he was comfortable and even though her
care and giving patience was tested on a regular basis, she still smiled and gave him a
wonderful life at home.

Stan eventually got pneumonia and after 3 ½ weeks in the hospital, he passed away. It was the end of his journey. This was a sad time in her life, yet Lynda found the courage and strength to do more.

After Stan retired from dentistry he kept much of the small and medium sized equipment
from his practice stored in their garage in boxes on shelves and on the floor. With Stan’s
passing last November, Lynda decided to share the dental equipment with other dentists,
whether they had long established or newly established practices, they could appreciate
this wonderful offer. When money was offered to her for the expensive equipment, she
gently requested for them to make a donation to the Alzheimer Association in Stan’s
honor. Later she learned that there were sizeable donations made to honor her request.

Lynda is always unselfish and has such a generous nature. She always thinks of others. No matter what, her unselfish dedication to find ways to educate others while encouraging donations towards the research to end Alzheimer Disease continues. She just keeps on giving. She truly is an angel for all she has done and continues to do.

We both continue to attend the Alzheimer’s support group meetings in The Woodlands, TX. Lynda unselfishly hopes to assist other families and caregivers deal with this disabling disease with hopes of lightening their journeys. 

Broaching the subject of driving with a loved one with Alzheimer’s is never easy but dealing with the issue early on can help ease the transition.

This is my forth post describing the journey with my wife Cheryl.  In a period of 42 months, this insidious disease progressed from mild stage early onset Alzheimer’s to the severe profound stage she is experiencing today. Cheryl, at the age of 61, now lives in a memory care unit, unable to verbally communicate.

The first time I ever really saw Cheryl cry regarding her condition was when the doctor from the Baylor School of Medicine stated it would be best if she quit driving. You see, Cheryl absolutely loved to drive!  In fact, for her fortieth birthday, Cheryl spent a week at Bob Bondurant’s School of Race Driving – a well-known high speed driving school.  While taking the class, she became so proficient in driving an open wheel race car that she beat the men in her class. Later, when we lived in Germany, Cheryl was able to use those skills driving on the Autobahn – topping 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph).

As a result, she was always the designated driver by the other expat wives as they took extended shopping trips throughout Europe. As a matter of fact, I often let her drive when we were out together.  The fact that we discovered that she was directionally challenged (Cheryl couldn’t read a map or know which direction she was traveling) added to the necessity for her to drive and me to navigate.

Cheryl loved to drive, making it tougher for Don to take the car keys away from her.

Most people think that the problem with allowing someone with Alzheimer’s disease to drive is they will get lost and not be able to find their way home.  While this is certainly a good possibility, the real danger of letting them drive is the disease hampers their ability to multitask Since this also affects their reaction time, the probability of an accident is greatly increased.

I learned that there were companies who specialize in assessing the driving abilities of someone who has Alzheimer’s; however, I chose not to have this done.  Why – because I don’t think I really wanted to know and I didn’t want to face taking away Cheryl’s driving privileges.  I believe if she had been assessed and deemed unfit to drive there surley would have been insurance consequences had she had an accident.  (The problem with my way of thinking is the consequences would probably be the same even if she had not had an assessment!)  I continued to let her drive for as long as I felt it was safe.  When she took her month long trips to visit her mother, I even asked her mom to let her drive occasionally so we wouldn’t have to “relearn” anything upon her return.

Over time, I did notice her driving becoming more erratic.  For example, on one occasion while we were driving to Dallas, I noted she was having difficulty staying in her lane.  Another time, she almost pulled out into oncoming traffic.  This is when I decided I would only let her drive short distances, and not use the freeways anymore.  (As if an accident couldn’t occur close to home.)

Cheryl was becoming aware that she was having difficulty finding her way around and became afraid of getting lost.  Every Tuesday Cheryl would drive to get her hair done.  When her hairdresser changed locations, it became obvious she was getting more and more confused with directions.   Later I was told by her hairdresser that Cheryl would verify what street on which to turn on to go home every time she left.

Not surprisingly, Cheryl called me a few weeks later on her cell phone quite upset, telling me she was in the car but didn’t know where she was.  I asked her what she saw through the windshield, and if she saw any street signs.  After describing what she saw, I was able to determine her location. It was clear when I arrived, Cheryl had been frightened by the experience.   She had missed the turn to go to our home and had driven two miles further before realizing she was completely lost.

It was evident I needed to do something to protect her. So, the following Tuesday I suggested I drive her to her hair appointment and afterwards have a lunch date together.  The plan worked to perfection!  Cheryl looked forward to her hair appointment and lunch every week.  She never asked to drive again.

For the next six months, I proceeded to drive us in either my car or her car.  I sold her car to a family friend the next time she went to visit her mother in Arizona.  When she returned, she never noticed the void in the garage.

There were numerous lessons I learned in taking away Cheryl’s car keys.  First, it is important to address and assess honestly the driving abilities of your loved one.   Secondly, one needs to realize the problem with driving with Alzheimer’s is much more than just getting lost -  it not only  involves the safety of your loved one but others as well   Thirdly, if there is an accident involving your loved one, insurance may not cover it and there  could also be other legal ramifications.  Most importantly, it is the caregiver’s responsibility to take the car keys away for the safety of all concerned.  Even though there may be some anger over the actions to eliminate driving privileges, it is something that needs to be done.  The anger will pass in time.

Click the link for more information on dementia and driving: http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-and-driving.asp

-Written by Don Baird as part of our “Lessons Learned” blog series. Be on the lookout for more wisdom and lessons learned from Don in the coming weeks and months.

Holiday gift ideas for people with Alzheimer’s and caregivers

If you have a caregiver or a person with Alzheimer’s on your gift-giving list, we’ve got some suggestions to make your shopping a bit easier.

Gifts for people with Alzheimer’s

In the early stages

Items to help remember things

• magnetic reminder refrigerator pads
• Post-It notes
• baskets or trays that can be labeled within cabinets or drawers
• a small pocket-sized diary or notebook
• erasable white boards for key rooms in the house
• a memorable calendar featuring family photos – write special family occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries

Items to help with everyday tasks

• a memory phone that can store up to eight pictures with the names and contact information of family and friends automatic medication dispenser that can help the person living with Alzheimer’s remember to take medicine
• nightlights that come on automatically when it gets dark
• a clock with the date and time in large type

Items to help keep the person engaged  

• an outing to a movie, play or concert, sporting event, museum or possibly an organized holiday shopping trip with friends and family
• favorite musical CDs or CD with compilation of favorite tunes
• VHS/DVD collection of favorite movies
• activities such as scrapbooking or other craft projects

In the middle-to-late stages 

Sensory stimulation gifts. Stimulating the five senses may bring back pleasant memories. Give gifts such as:

• scented lotions
• a fluffy bathrobe in a favorite color
• a soft blanket or afghan to keep warm

Clothes. Get comfortable, easy to remove, easily washable clothes such as:

• sweat suits
• knits
• large banded socks
• shoes with Velcro ties
• wrinkle free nightgowns, nightshirts and robes

Music. Research shows that music has a positive impact on individuals with Alzheimer’s, bringing them back to good times, increasing stimulation and providing an opportunity to interact with family members. Buy favorite CDs or burn a CD full of musical favorites

Framed photographs or a photo collage. Copy photos of family members and friends at photo centers, insert the names of the people in the photo and put in frames or in a photo album created specifically for that person.

MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®. Enroll the person in MedicAlert + Safe Return, a 24-hour nationwide emergency response service for wandering and medical emergencies.

Gifts for caregivers

• The gift of time. Cost-effective and truly meaningful gifts are self-made coupons for cleaning the house, cooking a meal, mowing the lawn, shoveling the driveway, and giving time off so a caregiver can do something to meet their needs.
• Gift cards and certificates. Give gift certificates for restaurants, laundry/dry cleaning services, lawn care services, computer/technology support, maid services, and personal pampering services such as massages and pedicures.
• Books. In addition to giving novels on the caregiver’s “must read” list, there are also a number of books on caregiving such as “The 36-Hour Day” by N.L.Mace and P.V. Rabins; “The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care” by V. Bell and D. Troxel; and “Alzheimer’s: A Caregiver’s Guide and Sourcebook,” by H. Gruetzner; and “Coach Broyles’ Playbook for Alzheimer’s Caregivers” by Frank Broyles. Also consider giving book on CD.
• Digital Video Recorder (DVR). Purchase DVR/TiVo and year’s worth of service so the caregiver can record favorite shows or sports programs he or she may not be able watch in real time due to care responsibilities.

The holidays are a time when family and friends often come together. But for families living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, the holidays can be challenging. Take a deep breath. With some planning and adjusted expectations, your celebrations can still be happy, memorable occasions.

FAMILIARIZE OTHERS WITH THE SITUATION

The holidays are full of emotions, so it can help to let guests know what to expect before they arrive.

If the person is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, relatives and friends might not notice any changes. But the person with dementia may have trouble following conversation or tend to repeat him- or herself.  Family can help with communication by being patient, not interrupting or correcting and giving the person time to finish his or her thoughts.

If the person is in the middle or late stages of Alzheimer’s, there may be significant changes in cognitive abilities since the last time an out-of-town friend or relative has visited.  These changes can be hard to accept. Make sure visitors understand that changes in behavior and memory are caused by the disease and not the person.

You may find this easier to share changes in a letter or email that can be sent to multiple recipients.

For ideas on how to let others know about changes in your loved one, join ALZConnected, our online support community where caregivers like you share tips on what has worked for them.

ADJUST EXPECTATIONS

Call a meeting to discuss upcoming plans.
The stress of caregiving responsibilities layered with holiday traditions can take a toll. Invite family and friends to a face-to-face meeting, or if geography is an obstacle, set up a telephone conference call. Make sure everyone understands your caregiving situation and has realistic expectations about what you can do. Be honest about any limitations or needs, such as keeping a daily routine.

Be good to yourself.
Give yourself permission to do only what you can reasonably manage. If you’ve always invited 15 to 20 people to your home, consider paring it down to a few guests for a simple meal. Let others contribute. Have a potluck dinner or ask them to host at their home. You also may want to consider breaking large gatherings up into smaller visits of two or three people at a time to keep the person with Alzheimer’s and yourself from getting overtired.

Do a variation on a theme.
If evening confusion and agitation are a problem, consider changing a holiday dinner into a holiday lunch or brunch. If you do keep the celebration at night, keep the room well-lit and try to avoid any known triggers.

INVOLVE THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA

Build on past traditions and memories.
Focus on activities that are meaningful to the person with dementia. Your family member may find comfort in singing old holiday songs or looking through old photo albums.

Involve the person in holiday preparation.
As the person’s abilities allow, invite him or her to help you prepare food, wrap packages, help decorate or set the table. This could be as simple as having the person measure an ingredient or hand decorations to you as you put them up. (Be careful with decoration choices. Blinking lights may confuse or scare a person with dementia, and decorations that look like food could be mistaken as edible.)

Maintain a normal routine.
Sticking to the person’s normal routine will help keep the holidays from becoming disruptive or confusing. Plan time for breaks and rest.

ADAPT GIFT GIVING

Encourage safe and useful gifts for the person with dementia.
Diminishing capacity may make some gifts unusable or even dangerous to a person with dementia. If someone asks for gift ideas, suggest items the person with dementia needs or can easily enjoy. Ideas include: an identification bracelet (available through MedicAlert^® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return^®), comfortable clothing, music, videos and photo albums.

Put respite care on your wish list.
If friends or family ask what you want for a gift, suggest a gift certificate or something that will help you take care of yourself as you care for your loved one. This could be a cleaning or household chore service, an offer to provide respite care or something that provides you with a bit of rest and relaxation.

For more tips or advice, call our 24-Helpline at (800) 272-3900 or visit our website.

With our 2012 Walk to End Alzheimer’s campaign coming to a close, now’s the perfect time to check out our photo albums from each Walk on Facebook and tag yourself to show your support in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.

These Walks are about more than raising Alzheimer’s awareness, they’re times to remember and create lasting memories with loved ones.  We hope that these photos help capture these moments for you to hold on.

With all of your help this year has been yet another resounding success, raising more than $1.1 million for Alzheimer’s disease care, support and research.

But, our work is still not done.  We’re still accepting donations through Dec. 5, so if you had hoped to raise more there is time to do so.  Please help us reach our fundraising goal!

To view each gallery, click on the name of the Walk below:

Katy/ West Houston

Northwest Houston

Livingston

North Harris/ Montgomery County

Baytown

Bay Area/ Galveston County

Nacogdoches

Houston

Fort Bend

Brazos Valley

Beaumont

Don with his wife Cheryl.

This is my third post describing the journey with my wife Cheryl. In a period of 42 months, this insidious disease progressed from mild stage early onset Alzheimer’s to the severe profound stage she is experiencing today.

After the initial diagnosis, Cheryl continued to function pretty normally. The doctors prescribed 10 mg of Aricept (the most frequently used drug to treat mild to moderate dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease) in hopes it would slow the progress of the disease.

At this point there were enough behavioral changes in Cheryl that I felt the need to talk with our immediate family and close friends regarding her condition.  And frankly, I really needed the support. I wasn’t,  however, ready to tell others.  There was and still is such a stigma attached to this disease.  After all, most people view Alzheimer’s as an old persons’ disease.  Cheryl was only 57.

Over time, Cheryl’s behavior became increasingly strange but most of it was exhibited at home so we didn’t have to explain it to others.  Looking back, some of it was quite humorous, including the time she was going to bake chicken.  We have two ovens in our home and Cheryl lit one oven to cook the chicken but put the chicken in the other one.  I came home expecting the smell of baked chicken to fill the kitchen but was surprised to find none.  Other behaviors were mostly harmless but concerning.  She would, for example, occasionally leave the refrigerator door open or the water running in the sink.

As the disease progressed, there were behavioral changes in public that sometimes needed to be explained to others.  On more than one occasion, Cheryl would go shopping and come home without her purse or groceries.  She once accused someone at the store of stealing her purse.  After returning to the store, the management returned the purse and explained that she had forgotten what aisle her cart was on so she simply got into the car and drove home.  She also started to talk to strangers in the stores.  This was very unusual for Cheryl because she was a somewhat private, quiet person.  Fortunately the comments were generally nice and well meaning.  She would go up to someone and say “My you look very pretty today,” to which the startled person would say, “Thank you.”   Occasionally, however, she might say something hurtful in earshot of the person she was referring.

It now became apparent we needed to let other people know about Cheryl’s condition, not only for social reasons, but for her well-being.

Early on, Cheryl could fly from Houston to Phoenix to visit her mother.  We always booked a flight with her sitting in seat 1C so she would know exactly where to go.  She was able to make her way to the gate, as well as to the baggage claim by herself.  As time progressed, the situation changed and we had to escort her to the gate and get her early boarding permission.  I got her a special pass describing her condition so the agents would know the situation and be prepared to help her.  The last few times Cheryl flew, either her sister or I would have to accompany her the whole way.

As a result, 7 or 8 months after Cheryl’s diagnosis, we started telling others about her condition.  I was apprehensive at first because I wasn’t sure how people would respond. To my surprise, I found that after opening up to them we would often become engaged in conversations about their friends or loved ones who also had Alzheimer’s disease.  This was very comforting to me and often gave me an opportunity to learn how others dealt with the disease.

Another common response from people was to say, “If there’s anything I can do to help, please call me.”  At first, I didn’t know how to respond to their offers of help. Someone (I think it was my minister whose mother suffered thought the torments of dementia), shared his response to this type of positive statements: “I appreciate that and please know if you are offering assistance, I intend to take you up on it.”  In this fashion, I was able to let people know I was open to accepting help, as well as fully expecting to need help in the future.

Alzheimer’s disease touches more people than you may imagine.  Do not hide the disease from others – there is no shame in the condition.  By letting others know your situation you can find people that have traveled the path before and can advise you on what to expect.  Finally, by talking about the condition of your loved one, you will most likely find people who really are willing to help.  Remember, as time goes on, you will welcome all of the help you can get. 

How do I let family and friends know what is happening? http://www.alz.org/national/documents/topicsheet_telldiagnosis.pdf

Asking for help, and not being afraid to accept it. http://www.alz.org/texas/in_my_community_support.asp

http://www.alz.org/manh/in_my_community_8974.asp

-Written by Don Baird as part of our “Lessons Learned” blog series. Be on the lookout for more wisdom and lessons learned from Don in the coming weeks and months.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan, who was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.  During that year, fewer than two million Americans had Alzheimer’s.  That number has since skyrocketed as an estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s today.  Unfortunately, the number of Alzheimer’s sufferers is expected to continue to explode and will nearly triple by 2050.

That is why the Alzheimer’s Association, Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter hopes that people will take this month to get involved and help spread awareness about this devastating disease.

Get Involved

This November, and throughout the year, there are many ways to take action and help raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease:

• Become an advocate.  Join us and speak up for the needs and rights of people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.
• Volunteer for a clinical trial. Recruiting and retaining trial participants is the greatest obstacle, other than funding, to developing the next generation of Alzheimer’s treatments. Trials are recruiting people with Alzheimer’s, as well as healthy volunteers to be controls.
• Make a donation. Make a tax-deductible donation to the Alzheimer’s Association and support vital research and essential support programs and services.
• Volunteer with our Chapter. Whether you can spare only a couple hours a month or make a more significant time commitment, we hope you will consider joining this very special community.
• Learn more about our chapter services.

The Alzheimer’s Association Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter offers numerous education programs across our service area throughout the year.  Join us for one of our many support group and educational programs. View our event calendar here.

Impact of Alzheimer’s

Facts and Figures, an annual report released by the Alzheimer’s Association, reveals the burden of Alzheimer’s and dementia on individuals, caregivers, the government and the nation’s healthcare system.

Don with his wife Cheryl.

This is my second post describing the journey with my wife Cheryl. In a period of 42 months, this insidious disease progressed from mild stage early onset Alzheimer’s to the severe, profound stage she is experiencing today.

It started in the summer of 2007.  Cheryl and I were in Toronto visiting a group of friends we met while living in Germany.  These reunions take place every couple of years so they had not seen Cheryl in some time.  As the reunion concluded, both other couples pulled me aside to talk.  They were concerned about Cheryl’s behavior.  She was having trouble following conversations and finding words while speaking.  They asked me if Cheryl was having some sort of series of mini strokes.  I hadn’t really noticed the subtle changes in her behavior since I was with her most of the time.  Was it possible I didn’t want to notice these changes? Cheryl was only 56.

Our day-to-day routine seemed to be fairly normal except for Cheryl’s struggling for proper wording or leaving cabinet doors open.  I knew there was something wrong but I was just not prepared to address it.  As I reflect on it now, I had noticed changes but because of my denial, I didn’t do anything about it.  The lesson learned: do not put off seeking medical help for something that you do not yet understand.

A couple of major events that caught my attention occurred in the spring and summer of 2008.  I was leaving on a long trip out of the country, so I asked Cheryl’s mother to come and stay with her during my absence.  Cheryl picked her mother up at the airport, a route she had driven many times before.  On her way home, Cheryl got lost.

In June, we were taking a family vacation in the Baltic’s  We arrived in Stockholm, Sweden where we stayed prior to embarking on a cruise.  I noticed Cheryl wandering the halls of the hotel in a sort of a daze.  It was highly disturbing.  I asked here if she knew where she was.  Her reply, “I don’t know.”

When we returned from the trip, I knew I needed to do something, but I still was in denial.  Shortly after our return I was having lunch with my son Drew.  When the subject of Cheryl’s actions came up I mentioned, “I realize I need to get some professional help to find the cause behind Cheryl’s behavior”.  Drew’s response was, “What do I need to do to make sure that happens?”  His comment irritated me because I knew I had put it off far too long.  I knew he was right.

The next day, I scheduled an appointment with a neurologist. Neurologists are a little scary because they deal with the brain.  You know what to expect when you go to a cardiologist or an internist but with a neurologist you have no clue what is going to happen.  He did the normal memory related exam and scheduled a battery of tests, including an EEG, CAT Scan and neuropsychological exam.  The neurologist told us Cheryl was experiencing symptoms of aphasia (inability to speak) but he did not know what the cause was.  He suggested for us to get a second opinion. That’s when I decided to take Cheryl to the Baylor College of Medicine.  They scheduled additional tests including a PET Scan (the test used to diagnose Alzheimer’s).  Because of Baylor’s heavy schedule with their other patients, they did not get back to us with a diagnosis until February 2009.  The doctor walked into the exam room and calmly announced that the test results had been reviewed.  Cheryl had Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 57.

I was in disbelief. I had heard of Alzheimer’s but really didn’t know what that meant for us. I don’t believe Cheryl totally comprehended the diagnosis either.  It was only when the doctor told her she should stop driving that she began to cry.  A psychologist then came in to explain what we could expect and to tell us what resources were available.  By that time I wasn’t really hearing anything the doctor said.  We left the office knowing our lives would change but not knowing what the future would look like or how to deal with the unknown.

I Googled “Alzheimer’s disease” when we got home from the doctor’s office.  There was so much information available it was overwhelming; and yet, I couldn’t find anything that told me how to deal with it on a day-to-day basis.  I was told that the “The 36 Hour Day” by Nancy Mace and Peter Robins was a good reference book.  I started reading it and it was so depressing that I had to stop. This book was written in 1981 and surely there must have been more progress made.  Cheryl was still in the early stages of the disease and this book focused more on the later stages.  I continued my search online and found “Coach Broyles’ Playbook for Alzheimer’s Caregivers – A Practical Tips Guide” by Frank Broyles, the former head football coach and later Athletic Director for the University of Arkansas.  This is exactly what I was looking for – a day-to-day guide for caregivers.  This book put things into perspective for me.  It is a short, easy-to-read book and breaks the disease into the early, mild and severe stages.  I ended up buying the book for all of our family members so they also would know what to expect.  I didn’t, however, contact the Alzheimer’s Association until much later when Cheryl’s condition progressed.  Lesson learned: If I had to do it again, I would have contacted them much sooner.

Our Alzheimer’s journey had begun.

I look back now and realize that early on I was in such denial about Cheryl’s symptoms.  It is important to listen to friends and family members when they are telling you something appears to be wrong with your loved one.  Had I faced the reality that something was seriously wrong earlier, we could have been so much more prepared for the future.  For example, I could have applied for long-term care insurance for Cheryl.  It costs a lot of money to care for someone with Alzheimer’s, but by the time we had a diagnosis it was too late to put these things in motion.  Never did I think that Cheryl would be in a memory care facility in less than 4 years.  I also regret not reaching out to others who had been down this path before. 

The problem many of us have is not knowing where to begin.  We neither know what to ask nor who to ask it.  With this blog, I hope to be able to answer those questions for those facing the challenges this disease presents.

What is this disease? Learn as much as you can.

http://www.alz.org/care/

 http://www.alz.org/living_with_alzheimers_early_onset.asp

http://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-financial-legal-planning.asp

-Written by Don Baird as part of our “Lessons Learned” blog series. Be on the lookout for more wisdom and lessons learned from Don in the coming weeks and months.

Thank you for all of the support Houston!

The Alzheimer’s Association, Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter would like to thank everyone who volunteered, participated or contributed to the Houston Walk to End Alzheimer’s.  The event was a tremendous success, but we could never have done it without the support from each and every one of you.

Together, we raised more than $372,000 to help fund Alzheimer’s care, support and research.  Our work, however, is not finished.  We are still accepting donations for our Walk campaign through December 5.  So, if you wanted to make an additional contribution or if you have any friends or family who would like to donate to your team, there is still an opportunity to do so.

Together, we raised more than $372,000 toward our goal to end Alzheimer’s.

Remember, the Alzheimer’s Association does offer an exciting prize program to our participants in recognition of outstanding fundraising efforts.  For a complete breakdown of prizes by donation levels, click here.

Also, check out our Houston Walk album on Facebook and tag yourself in our photos.

We do still have upcoming walks in Fort Bend County, San Augustine, Brazos Valley and Beaumont the next two weeks.  For more information on how to register for these walks, log on to http://www.alz.org/walk

Together, we raised more than $372,000 toward our goal to end Alzheimer's.

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