What Will You Do to Stop Diabetes? On March 23rd, the American Diabetes Association will ask the American public “What will you do to Stop Diabetes? Know your risk.” The Association will encourage people to join the Stop Diabetes movement by taking the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risks for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Risk Test shows users whether they are at low, moderate or high risk for type 2 diabetes. If they are at high risk, they are encouraged to talk with their health care provider.
Alzheimer’s disease was definitely not top of mind for me a few years ago. And hearing about the topic occasionally on the news, there was a sense of detachment; no personal relevance. Things changed suddenly in January of 2007. My Dad called from China and said he wanted to move back. He had gone through some testing in China for Alzheimer’s, but there was fear, uncertainty, and a lack of options.
Alzheimer’s disease was definitely not top of mind for me a few years ago. And hearing about the topic occasionally on the news, there was a sense of detachment; no personal relevance. Things changed suddenly in January of 2007. My Dad called from China and said he wanted to move back. He had gone through some testing in China for Alzheimer’s, but there was fear, uncertainty, and a lack of options. So Dad decided to move to New York City, to live with me, his youngest daughter. I took Dad through a maze of cognitive as well as physical tests and by March ’07, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was financially and emotionally unprepared to deal with my father’s illness and he was not prepared as well. It was very upsetting to see my proud father struggling with words and unable to care for himself. I had to work and there were no friends or other relatives in NYC to help. Dad did not have activities, and he felt lonely and depressed because of it. He seemingly got worst by the week, with declining appetite and significant weight loss. At times, he refused to get out of bed. I felt like he was fading before my eyes and I did not have a game plan. His appetite was poor; he was losing weight because he had trouble preparing his meals. I had to work and could not be home with him all the time to shop and cook. There were no friends or other relatives in NYC to help.
In researching Alzheimer’s exhaustively (in the library, talking to doctors, searching online), it became apparent that the Alzheimer’s Association led in the field. Yet I hesitated initially to make contact (‘too busy & exhausted to even have time to ask for help’). Finally, late one night, I wrote an e-mail in despair to the Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter. Unlike dealing with many faceless organizations and the feeling of being shuffled around, I was in touch the next morning with an amazing counselor, Matt Kudish. Matt understood and empathized with us and what we were going through, especially in our dire circumstances. Within a week, the Alzheimer’s Association allocated two modest, but very helpful grants to my Dad. One grant allowed Dad to continue receiving his medications and supplies without interruption until he enrolled in Medicaid. The other was a respite grant, so that Dad could visit a 24-hour care facility for a week, enabling family members to take a break and regroup. There was absolutely no red tape throughout the process. To this day, Matt is always available to us, a supremely compassionate person who provides unconditional steady solace and support.
The Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter has an outstanding array of resources. Through Matt I joined a support group and attended several extremely practical and crucial seminars (Understanding Dementia, Financial/Legal Planning, Medicaid Home Care), and was referred to a legal clinic when Medicaid rejected his application for care. Through all the collective support from the Alzheimer’s Association, our family is able to successfully help my Dad. Dad is now on Medicaid, which enables him to attend daycare and have the help of a home aide. He is extremely happy and stable with consistent mental and physical activities, at just the speed he needs. Most recently, Dad was able to attend his granddaughter Stephanie’s wedding in Boston as well as enjoying a trip to Canada with my brother, David. My sister Wendy visits all the time from Illinois and from Chicago has also been able to receive support consistently from that chapter. The Alzheimer’s Association helped us at a pivotal point when things could have turned out extremely negative. Instead, Dad is doing well living with his condition, and our family and friends are all able to help appropriately and lovingly.
On March 23rd, the American Diabetes Association will ask the American public “What will you do to Stop Diabetes? Know your risk.” The Association will encourage people to join the Stop Diabetes movement by taking the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Risk Test asks users to answer simple questions about weight, age, family history and other potential risks for pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Risk Test shows users whether they are at low, moderate or high risk for type 2 diabetes. If they are at high risk, they are encouraged to talk with their health care provider.
Alzheimer’s disease was definitely not top of mind for me a few years ago. And hearing about the topic occasionally on the news, there was a sense of detachment; no personal relevance. Things changed suddenly in January of 2007. My Dad called from China and said he wanted to move back. He had gone through some testing in China for Alzheimer’s, but there was fear, uncertainty, and a lack of options.
Alzheimer’s disease was definitely not top of mind for me a few years ago. And hearing about the topic occasionally on the news, there was a sense of detachment; no personal relevance. Things changed suddenly in January of 2007. My Dad called from China and said he wanted to move back. He had gone through some testing in China for Alzheimer’s, but there was fear, uncertainty, and a lack of options. So Dad decided to move to New York City, to live with me, his youngest daughter. I took Dad through a maze of cognitive as well as physical tests and by March ’07, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was financially and emotionally unprepared to deal with my father’s illness and he was not prepared as well. It was very upsetting to see my proud father struggling with words and unable to care for himself. I had to work and there were no friends or other relatives in NYC to help. Dad did not have activities, and he felt lonely and depressed because of it. He seemingly got worst by the week, with declining appetite and significant weight loss. At times, he refused to get out of bed. I felt like he was fading before my eyes and I did not have a game plan. His appetite was poor; he was losing weight because he had trouble preparing his meals. I had to work and could not be home with him all the time to shop and cook. There were no friends or other relatives in NYC to help. 