Butterflies are powerful representations of life. Around the world, in many cultures and faiths, the butterfly represents endurance, change, hope, and life. Direct care workers—formally classified as personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants, but known in the field by a much broader array of job titles—provide assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and…
Remain Calm and Make a Plan As the outbreak of Covid19 grows in communities across our country, it is imperative that we all remain calm, make informed preparations, and adjust short range plans to protect the health of our families and those we care for. As an organization constantly focused on the well-being of people…
Update as of 3/12/2020: After an in-depth thoughts and discussion with Dementia Alliance of North Carolina leadership and in an effort to support ongoing efforts to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19, we have made the decision to postpone ALL March trainings and workshops. Alternate dates will be communicated as they become available. We have…
Ron and Cherie Wilson of Durham were married on St. Patrick’s Day in 1986, and from that day on they were inseparable. Ron was an athlete in his younger days, and he loved sports, especially basketball, lacrosse and hockey. The two spent many hours together watching and attending games. Ron was so involved he became…
Crisis Intervention Teams – Officers Trained to Help by Lisa Levine Throughout North Carolina, law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals and advocates join in partnerships to establish Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT). CIT programs are programs that provide law enforcement officers the knowledge and skills they need to de-escalate persons in emergency crisis situations. CIT programs…
Announcing the Lina Mae Edwards Young Investigator Research Award April 24, 2019 (North Carolina) – Dementia Alliance of North Carolina is pleased to announce two winners of the Lina Mae Edwards Young Investigator Research Grants. The grantees, from Duke University and East Carolina University, will both receive $100,000 over the next two years. The purpose…
Empathy Through Art For those of us who have helped take care of someone with Dementia, we know how important it is to create and find moments of connection with our loved ones. But, as we watch them fade, it can be incredibly difficult to stay strong and not let our own pain distract us…
The Miraculous Mile! Yup, its just a mile! And its flat, straight, and on a protected street with no cars! Walk, run, bike, push someone else, rollerblade, skip, jump, moonwalk, use ski poles, whatever you like. Do the full ½ mile out & back, or a part. For someone living with dementia (or any chronic…
From Hurting to Helping When my dad was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2001, I was a freshman in college. He was only 54, and the idea that anyone so young could have this foreign-sounding disease seemed unfathomable. It was isolating for our family, for my dad and for me. Over the course of…
Actively Managing Your Stress… Your Brain Health Depends On It “It’s not the load that kills you, it’s the way you carry it.” – Lou Holtz. You’ve heard it before. It’s not the stress that gets you, it’s your reaction to it. But it’s not easy for most of us to just let go of…