November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month

CHICAGO, Ill. - This November the Alzheimer's Association, the leading resource for Alzheimer's care, is launching a new online tool to help caregivers monitor their own health and stress level while caring for a loved one. November is both National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month. One of the most prominent members of TKE that has died of this debilitating disease is Frater Ronald Reagan (Iota, Eureka College) seen on the right. The 40th President of the United States helped get TKE involved in this great cause in 2001.

There are currently an estimated 5.2 million Americans living with Alzheimer's and almost 10 million people caring for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease poses special challenges. Although memory loss is the most widely known symptom, as the disease progresses it also causes confusion, loss of orientation, and frequently, changes in personality and behavior. Individuals with Alzheimer's require increasing levels of care, supervision and provision for their safety.

According to the Alzheimer's Association 2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, more than 40 percent of the 10 million American unpaid caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high. Additionally, caregivers for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia are more likely than non-caregivers to report that their health is fair or poor.

"Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease poses special challenges and increasing levels of care that can be taxing on the caregiver's health," says Dr. Susan Miller, Brown University. "Local offices offer information and referral, care consultation, support groups and a caregiver respite voucher program, all to support families who are caring for their loved ones. It is important for family caregivers to make sure that they are taking care of themselves as well."

This November, during National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month, the Alzheimer's Association is helping to relieve the physical and emotional stress these caregivers experience with the introduction of a new resource - Caregiver Stress Check.

Caregiver Stress Check, available at alz.org , is a first-of-its-kind, interactive quiz that helps caregivers identify their symptoms of stress and provides them with a tailored list of helpful referrals and resources. Stress check questions include simple statements such as:

• Feeling like I have to do it all myself because no one else cares about my family members like I do and feeling that I should be doing more.
• Withdrawal from family, friends and activities that I used to enjoy.
• Worry about the person I care for being safe.
• Anxiety about money and health care expenses.

When caregivers answer "yes" to stress symptoms, they are lead to Alzheimer's Association resources designed to alleviate their specific issues. For example, if the caregiver worries about the safety of the person they care for they might be directed to MedicAlert and Alzheimer's Association Safe Return, a national program to combat wandering.

The Alzheimer's Association already provides a number of programs and services that help people affected by Alzheimer's at every stage of the disease including a toll-free help line 24/7, 7-days-a-week (800-273-2555), informative web site , and local services including information and referral, care consultation, caregiver and early stage support groups, a caregiver respite voucher program, and educational material resources.

If you have been touched by Alzheimer's or are a caregiver to someone with the disease, there is help. For more information and resources, visit the organization's web site or call the regional office nearest you at 1-866-844-0992.

The Alzheimer's Association

TKE has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association since 2001 and has raised more than $280,000. The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. For more information about the partnership, click here .

If you would like to see your chapter news here, contact Director of Communication Tom McAninch.