WELCOME BACK TO "LIVING
808."
THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
ALOHA CHAPTER NEED YOUR HELP.
FOLKS ALL ACROSS THE STATE AND
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
INVITED TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE TO
RAISE FUND AND AWARENESS FOR
ALZHEIMER'S CARE, SUPPORT AND
RESEARCH.
WE'RE LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT
TODAY.
WE WELCOME IN TRICIA MEDEIROS,
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT THE
PLAZA ASSISTED LIVING.
ALSO JOINING US JENNIFER, A
VOLUNTEER WITH THE ASSOCIATION.
WHY DON'T WE START WITH YOU.
FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT
UNDERSTAND OR KNOW WHAT
ALZHEIMER'S IS, CAN YOU TELL US.
ALZHEIMER'S IS A PROGRESSIVE
DISEASE THAT AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN
AND YOUR MEMORY.
IT AFFECTS MIDWESTLY SENIORS,
AND --
IT EFFECTS A LOT OF -PL P'S
LIVES, RIGHT?
IT DOES.
TELL US REAL QUICK, YOU GUYS
HAVE HAD A LONG RELATIONSHIP,
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ALZHEIMER'S
ASSOCIATION.
AND SO NOW YOU GUYS HAVE FIND OF
HAVE DONE AN EVENT OR KIND OF A
PROGRAM OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE
DONE AT THE CENTER.
TELL US WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
FOR THE LONGEST DAY PEOPLE
GET TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY DO TO
FUND RAISE.
WE'VE DONE ALL DIFFERENT TYPES
OF THINGS.
WE'VE PRINTED T-SHIRTS AND SOLD
THEM TO STAFF.
BUT LAST YEAR WE DID KIND OF A
THROWBACK TO WHEN YOU'RE IN HIGH
SCHOOL AND YOU GOT YOUR FLOWER
GRAM.
WE PARTNERED WITH WATANABE
FLORIST AND WE ALLOWED PEOPLE,
OTHER RESIDENTS, FAMILIES,
EMPLOYEES, THEY CAN BUY A ROSE
OR A FLOWER FOR A RESIDENT, AND
THOSE PROCEED IS WHAT FUNDED OUR
LONGEST DAY CAMPAIGN WITH THE
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION.
OKAY.
SO THE LONGEST DAY IS A CAMPAIGN
THAT THE ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
PUTS ON.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S EVOLVED
A LITTLE BIT WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME UP WITH THEIR OWN
FUND-RAISING IDEA.
YEAH.
HOW DID YOU GUYS COME UP WITH
THAT EVENT.
WE STARTED TO HAVE A
COLLECTION OF T-SHIRTS.
IT INVOLVES THE RESIDENTS TO BE
PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO EVERYONE JUST LOVES THE IDEA.
IT WAS DIFFERENT AND IT WAS
REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
OKAY.
SO OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY BE
WATCHING THIS INTERVIEW WHO MAY
HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY THE
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION LIKE
YOU, JENNIFER, WE'LL TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
THEY CAN ALSO CREATE THEIR OWN
LONGEST DAY ACTIVITY.
SO JUNE 21ST IS THE LONGEST
DAY OF THE YEAR.
YOU SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH HOURS TO
GO OUT AND BAKE, GO OUT AND
SPONSOR ZUMBA ANTHONY, WHATEVER
IS YOUR INTEREST TO RAISE FUNDS.
OKAY.
I LOVE IT BECAUSE REALLY THAT
OPENS IT UP WIDE, RIGHT?
YES.
IT'S WHATEVER PEOPLE ARE
INTERESTED IN, WHATEVER THEIR
PASSIONS ARE, WHATEVER THEIR
SKILL IS, THEY CAN GO AND CREATE
A FUNDRAISER AND THAT MONEY WILL
GO TO THE ALZHEIMER'S
ASSOCIATION HAWAI'I CHAPTER.
I LIKE THAT.
JENNIFER, YOU'RE A VOLUNTEER
WITH THE ASSOCIATION AND I
UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTHER HAS
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE
FOR YOU AS HER CARE GIVER?
IT'S AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING
DISEASE, AND FOR ME IT WAS
DIFFICULT BECAUSE I LIVED IN
CHICAGO FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO I JUNE
SIZED MY JOB FROM FULL-TIME TO
PART-TIME.
I WAS ACTUALLY HERE WHEN SHE WAS
DIAGNOSED AND AT THAT POINT I
WAS ALREADY MIDSTAGE DEMENTIA IN
2016 AND THE DOCTOR TOLD ME SHE
COULDN'T LIVE ALONE ANYMORE.
WHAT TURNED OUT ORIGINALLY WAS
GOING TO BE A THREE-WEEK TRIP,
I'VE BASICALLY BEEN HERE EVER
SINCE.
I'M HER HOUR FULL-TIME CARE
GIVER UNION INCLUDING GETTING UP
AT THAOEUT WITH HER.
HER CONDITION DECLINED TO THE
POINT THAT I COULD NOT PROVIDE
THE CARE THAT I WANTED AT HOME.
SO WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE
FOUND A GREAT CARE HOME
SPECIALIZING IN DEMENTIA CARE
AND SHE'S REALLY THRIVED THERE.
GOOD.
HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
HOW DID THE ALZHEIMER'S
ASSOCIATION OR THEIR PROGRAMS
HELP YOU?
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD
HAVE DONE WITHOUT THEM.
AFTER HER DIAGNOSIS I CONVINCED
MY MOM TO GO BACK TO CHICAGO
WITH ME FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS SO
THAT -- SHE THOUGHT SHE WAS
GOING ON VACATION WITH WITH ME.
THE REALITY WAS I NEEDED TO GO
HOME, PACK UP SOME THINGS AND
WRAP UP.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAD TO MAKE
SOME LIFE-CHANGING DECISIONS
REALLY QUICKLY, SO I CALLED THE
24 HOUR HOTLINE, GOT SOME GOOD
GUIDANCE AND THE SECTION HERE
WITH THE ALOHA CHAPTER.
AND WHEN I CAME BACK HERE A
COUPLE WEEKS LATER WITH MY MOM,
I STARTED TAKING THE SERIES OF
CLASSES THAT THE CHAPTER HERE
OFFERS.
I WOULD TAKE ON-LINE CLASSES AT
NIGHT AFTER SHE WENT TO BED, AND
I STARTED GOING TO THE SUPPORT
GROUP THAT I CONTINUE TO GO TO.
SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE ANY FAMILY
MEMBER WHOSE DEALING WITH THIS
AND STRUGGLING TO REALLY REACH
OUT TO THE ALOHA CHAPTER AND
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION BECAUSE
THEY REALLY DO PROVIDE A LOT
RESOURCE AND CARE.
ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S SCARY TO THINK ABOUT BUT
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE IN HAWAI'I ARE AFFECTED
BY ALZHEIMER'S.
AND IT SOUND LIKE THROUGH THEIR
PROGRAMS YOU GOT EDUCATED BUT
ALSO YOU GOT THE SUPPORT THAT
YOU NEEDED.
THAT'S RIGHT.
I COULD TALK TO YOU FOR
HOURS.
IT'S SO INTERESTING AND I'M GLAD
THAT YOU DID GET THE SUPPORT
THAT YOU NEEDED.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON YOUR
OWN FUNDRAISER.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE BUT
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
ALL OF THE MONEY'S RAISED TO
STAY RIGHT HERE AT THE ALOHA
CHAPTER I BELIEVE OR A BIG PART
OF IT AT LEAST.
YES.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT
INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE BUT