Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Readers,
This issue of Care Partner Connection arrives as we navigate the deepest dog days of summer. Earlier this week, Tropical Storm Debby prompted a brief office closure, and there is currently a heat advisory as I’m writing this.
We addressed heat-related Care Partner concerns in a recent Informed Aging podcast episode. As we get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine when the temperature has crossed a tolerable level or additional hydration is necessary, even among the healthiest adults. We discuss the warning signs you cannot afford to miss when caring for your person. Be sure to give that episode a listen.
This summer we are also offering a new evening support group, and a bevy of workshops at Charter Research.
Join us for Communication and Dementia”(10am - 12pm) on August 14 and Music and Dementia (10am - 12 pm) on August 21. (( Speaking of music, our Music Box Initiative is now at the Winter Park Library! We have four music sets in the “Beyond Books” section. )) I will facilitate Dignified Dementia Care: A Partnership at Charter Research beginning August 14. We will meet weekly (10am - 12pm) and attendees will leave the six-week program buoyed with additional knowledge and confidence. As always, you’ll need to call our office and register!
On August 28, linguistic postdoctoral researcher Carolin Schneider will host a Q&A session for her upcoming Dinner Time project, which launches when she returns in September. We hope you read her article about the project, which also details how to join that Q&A call.
Also in September, I encourage you to satisfy your cravings for Spanish-Cuban cuisine at Celebration’s Columbia Restaurant, as we are once again included in their Community Harvest program. We wrote an article about this incredible fundraiser that details how you can support us directly.
And on September 25, we are hosting Tools and Techniques for Everyday Caregiving (10am - 12pm) at Charter Research.
Our October workshops at Charter Research include Music and Dementia on October 2, Hope for the Future: The Florida Brain Bank on October 11 and a holiday-themed workshop on October 22. Each of these sessions run from 10am-12pm.
Looking further ahead, be sure to save the date for our Songs & Stories Fall Fundraiser at the Dr. Phillips Center’s DeVos Family Room on November 14. Chase McGill and Hunter Phelps will perform.
This issue of Care Partner Connection also celebrates FDA’s recent approval of a new drug to slow Alzheimer’s progression. We spoke to Charter Research CEO Jeff Pohlig about this milestone and what it means for consumers.
Our breaking news section features stories about the relationship between financial turmoil and Alzheimer’s, and the heightened risk for developing the disease if it runs through the maternal line. We examined a Harvard study that suggests olive oil could prevent dementia-related death, and explored whether a drug associated with weight loss could decrease dementia risk.
We also had the absolute pleasure of speaking with several artists, including a former Cincinnati Poet Laureate, about how creative expression supported them through their Care Partnership, and how you might leverage poetry and music on your own journey. We hope this article inspires you.
And finally, we have an article introducing the newest additions to our incredible Board of Directors and our team, and we are highlighting our new Board Secretary, Jessica Branning, who founded both ClinCloud and My Memory Clinic.
We hope this quarter’s newsletter reminds you of the truth that you truly are not alone. We are so glad that you’re here.
Until next time, take care,