"Doppler" Dave Oliver
BY MICHELLE BERRY
MANAGING EDITOR
One of Amarillo’s well-known weathermen will be the special guest at the Rotary Club meeting this Tuesday.
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Accolade to offer memory screenings to Borger residents
Wednesday, November 18 2009
By: Brooke Huff
Associate Editor
Currently there are over 5.3 million people suffering from Alzheimer's. That number is expected to increase to as many as 16 million by 2050.
The good news is that there is hope, and those facing Alzheimer's don't have to go about it alone. In recognition of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month, and in an effort to detect Alzheimer's in its early stages, Accolade Home Health will be offering confidential memory screenings at 38 locations across Texas and Oklahoma over the next month.
"Screening tests for Alzheimer's disease are simple, painless and very effective at identifying individuals in the early stages of the condition," said Dr. Phillip D. Isbelle.
To make the screenings more accessible to Borger and surrounding area residents, representatives from Accolade will be at Opportunities Inc., 903 Illinois, in Borger tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. According to Kristen Kennedy, Regional Marketing and Sales Coordinator for Accolade Home Health, the screenings take roughly five to 10 minutes to complete, and consist of simple questions and tasks, such as "Do you commonly have trouble remembering the year," "Are you frequently misplacing items, in odd places," and "Do you lose your train of thought more than a few times a day." Each screening, she said, is administered by a qualified healthcare professional and provides individuals with information on Alzheimer's disease, dementia and successful aging, as well as with local resources where residents can go to receive the needed help and support.
Accolade and its programs are designed to assist not only patients of Alzheimer's but also their caregivers. It provides assistance, guidance and support that help patients and caregivers manage both the good days and bad.
Mary Benson has been the primary caregiver for her husband Jim for two years. Jim, who was once a pastor, now relies solely on his wife and Accolade Home Care to perform every day duties.
"My husband took care of everything for 20 years, now I have had to train myself to take over those responsibilities, since he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's," said M. Benson.
J. Benson works twice a week with physical therapist assistant Jonette Schnaufer, who encourages him to participate in various exercises designed to build up his movement. She said that it often takes a lot of encouragement, but lately she has noticed a huge improvement in his abilities to get up and down on his own.
Sonny Braely, who is currently experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer's, is trying to spread the word about the importance of getting tested if possible. His wife, Donna said that it's important swallow fears when it comes to testing and just get it done.
"I'm so glad we got Sonny help, you have to maintain what is still there," D. Braely said.
According to Certified Dementia Practitioner Jane Hale, the sooner a person participates in a screening, the sooner they can get a plan of action into place to get the help they need.
The Braelys both attend an Alzheimer's support group, which allow them to interact and communicate with others who are going through the same trials. According to D. Braely, the groups help people cope with denial because it enables them to witness that they are not alone, and that there are others struggling with the same issues.
"You are able to comfort others," she said. "And it builds a community of support; feels like an extended family."
By mimicking his wife's behavior, S. Braely works daily to help him remember things. He said that she has a color-coded calendar that helps them remain calm during sometimes anxious moments. With the calendar, he said, they don't have to worry about when and where things are.
By providing comprehensive education and support to the patient Accolade Home Care's staff is specially-trained to help affected individuals and their caregivers navigate their way through the disease. They also coordinate care with physicians, provide ongoing safety intervention, and provide appropriate skilled care for different stages of the disease, which include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Caregivers can receive support from Accolade by learning caregiver behavior management, proper nutrition, how to cope with stress and where they can find helpful community resources. Accolade also assists families with transition and support the family if home care is not the continuing option.
Based in Denton, Texas, Kindstar Corporation DBA, Accolade Home Care's management, has served Home Health and Hospice patients for over 20 years. They have 25 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma where Accolade's nurses and therapists visit patients in their homes to evaluate symptoms and provide necessary treatment. The company's sophisticated specialty programs focus on the patient and includes family members every step of the way. Accolade's services incorporate treatment for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, vestibular disorders, foot care, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Specialists also provide training to wound care and ostomy care, nutrition and diabetes. Its hospice service provides a special kind of care designed to meet not only the patient's physical needs, but their emotional and spiritual needs as well.
For more information about the local memory screenings, contact Jodi Allen at
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or 806-207-0071.
Last Updated ( Thursday, November 19 2009 )
on 08-02-2010 12:25
"Doppler" Dave Oliver
BY MICHELLE BERRY
MANAGING EDITOR
One of Amarillo’s well-known weathermen will be the special guest at the Rotary Club meeting this Tuesday.
Comments on this site are the sole responsibility of the person posting them.
By submitting comments on this site you agree not to post any comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy.
