URGENT CALL TO ACTION - GOVERNOR’S BUDGET CUTS WILL HURT CAREGIVERS

Part of the Governor’s $3.3 billion budget reduction proposal includes elimination of adult day health care (ADHC) as a MediCal benefit. This will negatively impact thousands of caregivers throughout the state and may impact someone you know and love.

As Orange County’s only Alzheimer’s Day Care Resource Center, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center provides dementia-specific adult day health care services to individuals from the earliest to the most advanced stages of dementia. For example, each year, AFSC serves 20-plus participants who have been denied services at or discharged from sister adult day centers due to difficult-to-manage behaviors such as wandering or aggressiveness. In some cases, AFSC has been able to continue care of such severely impaired individuals for up to two additional years, delaying institutionalization.

Sam, a 77-year-old, African American male with dementia, was found living alone in his rat-infested home, without proper care, little food to eat, and driving unsafely. Sam moved in with his son and daughter-in-law, who couldn’t stop working to provide the round-the-clock supervision Sam needs. Sam had already been found wandering around the community unable to find his way home. Reliant on MediCal for Sam’s care, his family was able to access the adult day health care benefit. If this benefit hadn’t existed, Sam’s family would have had to institutionalize him at much greater cost to MediCal. In addition to dementia, Sam has chronic renal disease, anemia, and hypertension. Our nurses monitor these conditions and immediately report symptoms of concern to his physician, so that Sam doesn’t end up hospitalized. Daily physical and occupational therapy exercises help Sam maintain everyday abilities, such as walking independently, making it easier for his family to continue care at home. As well, Sam and his family benefit from access to a social worker, who helps Sam’s family problem-solve difficult situations, such as managing Sam’s wandering.

Within the context of a stimulating program of recreational activities, adult day health care participants receive multiple health-related services, including nursing and personal care, physical, occupational and speech therapy, care management, nutritional oversight, based on an individual plan of care designed to maximize independence.

At Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, participants have an average of 6 health conditions, including dementia, and are taking an average of 7 medications daily. By managing these conditions in coordination with each participant’s family and primary care physician via comprehensive adult day health care services, AFSC is preventing institutionalization – which improves quality of life for the individual and reduces the cost of care for the state. Clearly, the Governor has not taken into account the cost shift to nursing homes that will occur if the MediCal adult day health care benefit is lost.

I urge you to preserve the adult day health care benefit which is keeping thousands of our most frail Californians out of the institutional setting and reducing the cost of long-term care for the state. You can help by writing a letter and asking the legislature to SAVE THE ADHC program. You can find your legislator at http://www.legislature.ca.gov.

Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Family Services Center Receives Coveted Peace Maker Award

(Huntington Beach, CA)— Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is proud to announce that on Thursday, May 7, 2009, Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director, was honored with the 2009 Peace Maker Award from the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council during the National Day of Prayer celebration.

The Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council is a gathering of representatives from faith communities and other interested groups who meet for the purpose of (1) respecting, understanding and celebrating our spiritual and cultural diversity and (2) serving people. The council envisions a community of tolerance, peace, understanding and love. In light of this vision, Dr. Dick-Muehlke was selected to receive this prestigious award given her tireless efforts to provide love and acceptance for those afflicted with Alzheimer’s or another dementia during her 15-year tenure as AFSC executive director. While AFSC has been operating for nearly 30 years, the center has been located in and serving the residents of Huntington Beach for the last decade.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. We achieve this mission through direct care, family support, and education services, designed to address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. An independent, nonprofit organization, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is affiliated with the Hoag Neurosciences Center of Excellence.

To learn more about the center, call (714) 593-9630 or visit www.AFSCenter.org.

Photo: LtR – Celine Keeble, Jan Stephenson, Jack Stephenson, Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Malcolm Dick, Ph.D., Anita Rodriguez-Lambert

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center Featured in HBO Special – The Alzheimer’s Project

(Huntington Beach, CA)— Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is proud to be featured in the unique HBO series aiming to change how people think about Alzheimer’s. HBO initiated The Alzheimer’s Project to raise awareness and funding to find a cure. This unprecedented series of four documentaries, aired May 10-12, is now available online at www.HBO.com/alzheimers.

The Alzheimer’s Project begins with "The Memory Loss Tapes,” an up-close and personal look at seven individuals living with Alzheimer's, across the full spectrum of the disease."Momentum In Science, a two-part state-of-the-science film, takes viewers inside the laboratories and clinics of 25 leading scientists and physicians, revealing some of the most cutting-edge research advances. "'Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?” with Maria Shriver captures what it means to be a child or grandchild of one with Alzheimer's, while "Caregivers" highlights the sacrifices and successes of people who experience a loved one's descent into dementia.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center board member Terry McKenna and his wife Suzanne Caffey-McKenna participated in the fourth and final documentary, “Caregivers.” Terry and Suzanne share the story of their new life together after many years of Terry caring for his late wife, Pat, who died of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, viewers see Terry and Suzanne interacting with participants at the center as they explain why they support AFSC.

“We are truly grateful to HBO for including AFSC in such an innovative project. We loved working with all of the HBO staff to make this happen. Moreover, we consider ourselves lucky to have Terry and Suzanne so supportive of our center and thank them for their willingness to share their story,” stated Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director of AFSC.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. We achieve this mission through direct care, family support, and education services, designed to address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. An independent, nonprofit organization, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is affiliated with the Neurosciences Center of Excellence.

To learn more about the center, call (714) 593-9630 or visit www.AFSCenter.org.

Photo: LtR – Bill Couturié, Director/Producer; Terry McKenna; Anne Sandkuhler, Producer; Suzanne Caffey-McKenna, and Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center.

AFSC's Article Published in The Golden Years Magazine

AFSC's Executive Director, Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D. has an article published in The Golden Years Magazine. Their mission is to provide people with 55+and better information and content that will bridge the health care system, diversity on services, products, and benefits to all 55+ and better alike. Their goal is to bring awareness of benefits on services that will enrich the well being of readers in surrounding Communities.

The article is on Successful Aging. To read the article and learn more about this magazine, visit http://www.55plusmag.com/magazine10.html.

PHYSICIAN'S UPDATE MARCH 2009: A partner in the complex medical management of your patients with Alzheimer’s disease

An estimated 5.2 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and the number will escalate rapidly in the coming years as the Baby Boom generation begins reaching retirement age in 2011, just 2 years from now..1

Caring for this growing number of persons with Alzheimer’s or another dementia will strain our health care system. People with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are high users of health and long-term care services, with direct costs to Medicare and Medicaid amounting to more than $112 billion annually. 1 This patient population has more than three times as many hospital stays as other older people, and the use and cost of health care services are strongly related to coexisting medical conditions. Most patients with Alzheimer's or another dementia have one or more comorbidities, including hypertension (60%), coronary artery disease (30%), congestive heart failure (28%), and diabetes (21%). 1

Medical care and management for these patients can be complex for physicians, as patients with diminished capacity may be unable to play an active role in their treatment.

For your patients with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, Alzheimer's Family Services Center, a Hoag Community Health Partner affiliated with the Hoag Neurosciences Center, offers a resource to help you manage your patient's with Alzheimer's and their coexisting conditions.

Day-to-day monitoring of Alzheimer's and comorbidities
Alzheimer’s Family Services Center offers adult day health care services designed specifically for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. While at the center, participants enjoy cognitively and physically stimulating activities, and benefit from health-related services. A multidisciplinary team of dementia care experts, including a medical director, nurses, social workers, physical, occupational, and speech therapists, a pharmacist, and a dietician, develop an individual care plan that supports maximal independence. All care is coordinated with primary care physicians. For example, the team helps facilitate care with primary care physicians and specialists through daily management of each participant's health conditions (e.g., blood pressure and blood glucose readings) and medication regimen (e.g, administering daily medications and monitoring side effects), sending reports on patient progress, and alerting doctors to any medical issues that arise. The team also helps physicians and families address the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Services extend well beyond medical care coordination
Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias are living at home at any one time, usually with help from family and friends. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's impacts the caregiver's employment and health, contributing to high levels of stress hormones, reduced immune function, new hypertension, new coronary artery disease and depression. 1 Alzheimer’s Family Services Center has developed a continuum of services to help families address the multiple challenges that arise during the course of dementia, from the earliest to most advanced stages. Caregivers of participants enrolled in adult day health care as well as from the community at large can take advantage of the multiple services.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center ground its services in the latest in research on dementia treatment and care. For example, studies have now repeatedly shown that patients who engage in cognitive stimulation, such as that offered at the Center, and take available medications (e.g., Aricept) show less decline than those receiving pharmacological treatment alone. On a daily basis, all participants exercise the brain through current events discussions, reminiscence, trivia, word games, puzzles, and bingo. Team games give early stage participants a way to exercise the memory, language, and other skills they want to maintain as long as possible. Additionally, participants can access the innovative Brain Fitness™ system, which engages them in stimulating yet rigorous cognitive exercises via a touch-screen computer.

Alzheimer's Family Services Center provides a truly unique service to the community, offering support for referring physicians, the patients themselves, and their caregivers.

For more information, please call Alzheimer's Family Services Center at 714/593-9630 or visit www.AFSCenter.org.

Reference:
1. Alzheimer's Association. 2008 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimer's Dement. 2008;4(2):110-133.

Dave Stamey, Nationally Acclaimed Cowboy Entertainer to Perform at A Gathering of Friends.

Take a step back into the Old West with Alzheimer’s Family Services Center’s 9th Annual “A Gathering of Friends…” at the Westin South Coast Plaza on May 14, 2009! This year the annual fund raiser pays tribute to Don Killian, a noted attorney and long-time resident of Orange County, who is currently a participant at AFSC. In addition, Orange County philanthropists, Tom and Pat McDaniel, are being honored as the Distinguished Friends of 2009 for their generous support of the Center and all it offers families dealing with the problems of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.

This year, AFSC is proud to announce that Dave Stamey will be performing at A Gathering of Friends. Cowboys and Indians Magazine has called him “the Charley Russell of Western Music.” Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He has been twice voted Entertainer of the Year, three times Male Performer of the Year and twice Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association, and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. He has delighted audiences in fourteen states, and finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses. “We are thrilled that Stamey will be performing at our event. He will make a special evening that much more memorable,” stated Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director of AFSC.

AFSC is also proud to announce that Jack Goddard, member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame and author of Cattle: Symbol of the Great American West, will be the evening’s Celebrity Master of Ceremonies and Live Auctioneer.

Individual tickets purchases available for $150 each. Sponsorships range from $500 - $10,000. For more information or to make a donation, please contact Gloria Cisneros (714) 593-9630, email gcisneros@afscenter.org or visit us at http://www.afscenter.org/.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is an independent, nonprofit agency dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. Our services address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. Funds raised by event sponsorships, ticket sales and a live and silent auction will help provide dementia-specific adult day health care, caregiver support services, and community education and outreach. To learn more or to consult with a dementia care expert, please call (714) 593-9630.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center Launches Caregiver Counseling Services Program

(Huntington Beach, CA)— Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is proud to announce the launch of our Caregiver Counseling Services program. In keeping with AFSC’s priority to help families maintain the highest possible quality of life, we are proud to begin offering these services on April 13, 2009.

The mission of Caregiver Counseling Services is to enhance emotional well-being and quality of life in caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through skilled therapeutic counseling.

Caregiver Counseling Services is designed to provide an “extra boost” when a caregiver needs focused support to develop and implement solutions for problems in care. Individual, family, and couples counseling is available to help address problems such as family conflicts over care, negative emotions, depression, unhealthy caregiving styles, and difficult transitions (e.g., placing a loved one in long term care).

Services include:

- Brief, solution-focused counseling provided by expert social workers
- Up to 12 counseling sessions
- Affordable fees based on a sliding scale
- Professional referrals to caregivers who may need extended, in-depth support

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. We achieve this mission through direct care, family support, and education services, designed to address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. An independent, nonprofit organization, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is A Hoag Health Partner, affiliated with the Neurosciences Center at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

To learn more about caregiver counseling services or the center, please call (714) 593-9630 or visit http://www.afscenter.org/.

David Oh Joins Alzheimer’s Family Services Center’s Board of Directors

(Huntington Beach, CA)—Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is pleased to announce the addition of David Oh to our distinguished list of board members. Currently, as a Partner of Studio SA, David Oh is responsible for managing, directing, and expanding the Science and Technology segment of the firm's work. His experience spans over 22 years and includes design, planning, project management and leadership, plus construction management and quality control/assurance. David graduated in 1989 from the Southern California Institute of Architecture with a Bachelor of Architecture.

David brings a good mixture of leadership qualities to AFSC’s board. He’s joining the board out of his desire “to serve the Orange County community” and donate his valuable time to make a difference. David’s business acumen will be utilized strategically to help AFSC achieve fundraising goals in these trying economic times. “We are thrilled that David has decided to share his talents and passion for helping others with AFSC,” said Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director.

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. We achieve this mission through direct care, family support, and education services, designed to address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. An independent, nonprofit organization, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is A Hoag Health Partner, affiliated with the Neurosciences Center at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

To learn more about the center, call (714) 593-9630 or visit www.AFSCenter.org.

Laguna Art Museum Stirs Creativity in a Mind with Alzheimer’s Disease

Clyde is a former quality control engineer for Boeing. When he began attending Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, he regularly participated in art class, creating wonderful pencil sketches; once painting a beautiful seascape. As his dementia progressed, he stopped joining art class, becoming more and more isolated. Thanks to Laura and Louis M. Rohl, Clyde and many other participants at AFSC were treated to an outing including, lunch and a tour of the Laguna Art Museum exhibition of William Wendt.

“William Wendt saw God in nature,” explained the concierge to the group. “He must, look at that there,” said Clyde, pointing to a hardly noticeable mountain made to appear far off in the distance. Not quite able to find the words to describe what he saw, Clyde was unfazed by the entanglements affecting the language area of the brain commonly attacked by dementia. Deeply drawn in-to Wendt’s famous piece, Where Nature’s God Hath Wrought, Clyde took his eyes from the painting only momentarily to let the concierge know he was listening to her explanation of Wendt’s dedication to the idea of nature as creation. Clyde was more engaged than he had been in a very long time. Given Clyde’s lifelong interests in art, nature and gardening, the moment was nothing short of serendipitous.

As the tour went on, Clyde mentioned several times that he used to paint and draw. When asked if he was feeling inspired to pick up the pencil or paintbrush again, he replied with an enthusiastic “you betcha!”

Meanwhile, a small group of women admired another of Wendt’s paintings, Wash Day, depicting a small, early 20th century cabin and barn in a plush Southern California valley. A laundry line is tied between two trees with several garments hung. “Oh, I remember doing that…” said Ester. The others nodded, as if confirming that they, too, recall their days of washing and hanging laundry. According to Cordula Dick-Muehlke, PhD, executive director at Alzheimer’s Family Services Center, “Amazingly, color, motion, and imagery stimulate memories of past experiences that many of us might assume are forever lost to Alzheimer’s.”

Not long after the excursion, Clyde was walking by an Activity Coordinator who was working on a puzzle at Alzheimer’s Family Services Center. As always, she encouraged him to help her. For the first time in many months, he agreed and sat down and helped. It is difficult to tell if his renewed willingness to participate is directly attributable to the art museum excursion, but something inside him was definitely drawn out that day.

Generous patrons, like Laura and Louis M. Rohl, make these types of outings possible, as well as help fund the important work we do at the center. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to individual needs. For more information about AFSC, please call (714) 593-9630 or visit our Web site at www.AFSCenter.org.

Diana E.B. Murphy Joins Alzheimer's Family Services Center's Board of Directors

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is pleased to announce the addition of Diana E.B. Murphy to our distinguished list of board members. Currently serving as a Principal of Rossetti Architects, Diana has a wealth of experience in the field of interior planning, design and project management. An Allied Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a LEED Accredited Professional and an Associate of the International Interior Design Association, Diana has participated in the planning and design of the Staples Center and Nokia Theatre at LA Live, AEG Corporate Headquarters, Los Angeles Clippers Corporate Offices, among many other high-profile building spaces in southern California.

Diana brings a unique combination of leadership experiences to the group. She served as chair of fundraising activities for the British Columbia Ballet Foundation (1993-97) and the West Vancouver Foundation (1995-98). Diana was also board chair of the annual raffle for the Canucks Hockey Club Foundation from 1993 - 1996. In addition, she served as interior design lead for five assisted living and Alzheimer’s care facilities in British Columbia. "Diana’s background and knowledge will make her a great addition to the Board of Directors,” said Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Ph.D., Executive Director, “We are very glad to welcome her to the Board of Alzheimer’s Family Services Center.”

Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is dedicated to improving quality of life for families challenged by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia through services tailored to meet individual needs. We achieve this mission through direct care, family support, and education services, designed to address the complex and changing needs of families as Alzheimer’s disease progresses from the earliest to most advanced stages. An independent, nonprofit organization, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center is A Hoag Health Partner, affiliated with the Neurosciences Center at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Community Education Calendar

Our community education and outreach workshops are designed by dementia experts to help you build your knowledge base and coping skills. Workshops cover a wide variety of topics, including diagnosis and treatment of dementia, home safety, legal and financial planning, communication and cognitive changes, brain healthy lifestyle, and memory enhancement.

More than 70 educational classes or seminars are offered throughout the year at the center and in the local community. Community-based locations include senior centers, churches, non-profit agencies, independent residential living communities, and hospitals in the Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Newport Beach area.

All educational programs are offered free of charge.

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Successful Aging--Ponce De Leon Got It All Wrong

Dave Hart, MS, Director of Education, AFSC, takes a look at what it means to age successfully.

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2nd Annual Spirituality Conference March 5, 2009

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Alzheimer’s Family Services Center and our community partners, Hoag Hospital and Alzheimer's Association of Orange County, will present Successful Spiritual Care: Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, Thursday, March 5, 2009.

In March of 2008, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center and our community partners held a conference exploring the ideas of spirituality in dementia care. It was so well received that we would be remiss to not make it an annual event.

This multi-faith, experiential conference will explore what it means to age successfully in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide attendees with the skills to connect emotionally and spiritually with cognitively impaired individuals and their families during home and hospital-based visits.

Speakers include:

1. Dr. Cordula Dick-Muehlke, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center

2. Patty Mouton, Director of Education and Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association, Orange County Chapter

3. David Hart, MS, MFTI, Director of Education, Alzheimer’s Family Services Center

Register early because this event fills quickly!

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