Dori Siano, President Suzanne, Annie Murphy and Robert Wroblewski
The Westerly area Walk for Alzheimer's is coming up on 5 October. We have a team and you can go to the Alzheimer's Association website and sign up - Team Rotary Club of Westerly. The Club will be donating $250 and so far members have signed up and added another $200. Sign in starts at 8:30, Ceremony at 9:45 and Walk begins at 10am from Misquamicut Beach.
Our guests shared personal experiences of loved ones living with dementia and Alzheimer's along with sharing how much the Alzheimer's Association offers by way of support and expert information both for the people living with the disease and their caregivers and family. The HELP line is available 24/7 with a bilingual staff or translation service "which accommodates over 200 languages." The Alzheimer's Association's 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."
"10 Healthy Habits for your Brain ..... can lower the risk of developing cognitive decline and possibly dementia. This is true even for people with a history of dementia in their families."
Protect your head - wear a helmet for activities like biking and wear a seatbelt.
Be smoke free - it's never too late to stop smoking.
Get moving - engage in regular exercise that raise your heart rate and increase blood flow to the brain and body.
Challenge your mind - Put your brain to work and do something that is new or hard for you.
Control your blood pressure - work with a health care provider to control your blood pressure and eat healthy.
Manage diabetes - controlled by healthier eating, increasing physical activity, and medicine if necessary.
Sleep well - good quality sleep is important for brain health. Stay off screens before bed.
Stay in school - education reduces risk of cognitive decline... continue study by taking a class at a local library, college or online.
Eat right - healthier foods includes more vegetables and leaner meats/proteins, along with foods that are less processed and lower in fat.
Maintain a healthy weight - talk to your health care provider about the weight that is healthy for you.
We also learned the meaning for the Alz Assoc Flowers: BLUE - for someone living with Alzheimer's, PURPLE - for person who has lost someone to the disease, YELLOW - for someone who is a current caregiver, ORANGE - for supporting the Alz Assoc cause, and WHITE - for hope to find a cure and to honor the first Alzheimer's Survivor.
For more information, go to www.alz.org/RI. The HELP line is open 24/7 at 800.272.3900.
