The Longest Day
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, and Brio Living Services has been celebrating all month long at many of its communities. The culmination of the month is the Longest Day, which this year is observed on June 20. “The Longest Day is the day with the most light—the summer solstice,” says Linda Mammel, Memory Care Program Manager at Towsley Village. “People from all over the world will stand up to the darkness of Alzheimer’s by wearing purple, the official color of the Alzheimer’s movement.” The Longest Day and Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month are important reminders to pay attention to our own brain health and to support others as well. Linda says, “This is a time to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and encourage everyone to take charge of their brain health.”
This reminder is as important as ever. According to a BusinessWire press release published June 12, “a new survey from Parade and Cleveland Clinic shows many Americans (69%) are thinking at least once a year about their risk of developing brain health issues such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. However, many do not get care when they experience symptoms.” This delay or neglect of care can have huge implications. “In the survey, 36% of people under 50 and nearly one-fourth of individuals aged 50-64 said they have experienced memory or brain health issues but were too afraid to seek help. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, in many cases, steps can be taken to reduce risk but are more effective before brain changes begin.”
At Chelsea Retirement Community (CRC), we celebrated the Longest Day a day early by encouraging donations to the Alzheimer’s Association. Linda explains, “CRC invited everyone to wear purple on Wednesday, June 19 as we prepared for the summer solstice. Root beer floats were available on that day to anyone who donated to the Alzheimer’s Association at Bill’s Café in Assisted Living.”
On the Longest Day itself, CRC hosted a free presentation called “Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body.” “The discussion focused on the 10 healthy habits for your brain, getting moving, challenging your mind, maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure, and getting good quality sleep, just to name a few,” Linda says.
One important way that Brio provides support for older adults experiencing Alzheimer’s or other dementias is through our memory care communities. These communities follow Positive Approach to Care® (PAC) ideology and training on how to engage with residents living with dementia. PAC is an empathetic and person-centered approach developed by healthcare professional, Teepa Snow. Recently, CRC earned PAC’s Designated Organization status at the Aware Level, one of only two retirement communities in Michigan to receive this distinction.
Porter Hills Village is also working toward becoming a PAC designated organization, a goal it hopes to achieve this fall. Maegan Garlock, Community Engagement Manager, says, “Our PAC trainings have been going well. Stephanie Troeger, our Dementia Care Specialist, has been providing monthly trainings to team members in the Health Center and Memory Support.” In addition, Maegan says, “Our Independent PAC Certified Coaches work alongside team members daily and provide in-the-moment support and education. PAC skills are being incorporated into new team member onboarding. We had a “Spring Training” in-person training back in March, where our Coaches and Trainers provided in-depth training to team members. We also plan to host another similar event in the fall.”
To learn more about memory care for yourself or a loved one, visit MyBrio.org.