STUART — At their April 25 meeting, members and friends of the Treasure Coast Civitan Club learned a lot about Alzheimer’s disease from Ron Radcliffe, director of operations at Senior Helpers, a private health care agency here in Stuart.
Radcliffe originally was a music therapist and then became an administrator of Alzheimer’s Community Care. He has been involved in a number of regional, state and national committees and was appointed by Florida’s Secretary of the Dept of Elder Affairs as a member of Florida’s Silver Alert Support Committee. He authored the Specialized Alzheimer’s Services Adult Day Care Act, which was recently approved by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Scott in 2012.
He explained statistics reveal that about 5 million people in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s right now, more than ½ million of those cases are in Florida alone. By the year 2050, with no cure, 16-17 million people in the country are expected to have the disease. The incidence of Alzheimer’s is increasing dramatically due to the fact that people live longer. By the age of 85 there is a 1 out of 2 chance that you will have Alzheimer’s or some kind of dementia.
A common misconception, he emphasized, is that dementia is a diagnosis, when actually it is a group of symptoms, not a disease. Those symptoms include short-term memory loss, difficulty doing abstract tasks, managing finances, and difficulty finding the right words to express oneself.
Alzheimer’s is one of the many diseases that cause these symptoms of dementia, and medications for it will not help other diseases. Diagnosis dictates care. Therefore, it is important to find what is causing dementia. Some of these causes may be reversible, such as B-12 insufficiency, depression, side-effects from medications, thyroid issues, vascular problems etc. Radcliffe recommends going to a neurologist or memory disorder center for a correct diagnosis.
There are many local resources available for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. We have the S.E. Florida Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association here. which is committed to funding research. They do provide support services such as support groups as well as education and training for family members.
Another charity is Alzheimer’s Community Care, serving Palm Beach, Martin, and Saint Lucie counties. They are a more direct hands-on service provider that has registered nurses who will go into homes to do assessments, find out what the family’s needs are and help coordinate those needs for the family.
There are two adult day care centers on the Treasure Coast where people with the disease can go during the day, giving the care giver relief, additionally it’s an environment that is respectful and nurturing to the person with the disease.
There is also Senior Helpers a private group which provides in-home care for seniors. Ron is the director of operations. Their philosophy of care is very positive, very affirmative. Treating patients with dignity, they emphasize what the patient can do rather than what they cannot do.
The public can learn about this approach at an Alzheimer’s workshop that will be given by Senior Helpers at the Frances Langford Auditorium in the Kane Center on the first four Tuesdays in June at 1 p.m.
If you would like more information about the Treasure Coast Civitan Club that meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday at Southern Pig and Cattle, contact president Polly Forestier at 772-283-8367.
This story is contributed by a member of the Treasure Coast community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with TCPalm.com
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