Are You ALZ Aware?
If you met someone with Alzheimer’s disease, would you know it? Better yet, would you be able to communicate with that person and have a positive interaction with them? An innovative new program launched by Carillon and our community partners in the town of Harrisburg will address those questions head-on, and hopefully initiate a more inclusive community approach to the growing epidemic that is Alzheimer’s.
“ALZ Aware” is a training program offered by Carillon for local Harrisburg business owners and employees. The free training will give businesses valuable insight into the disease to help improve and enhance their relationship with customers and families. At the conclusion of the training, the local business would be certified as “ALZ Aware,” denoted by a decal that would be displayed in their office, storefront or company website.
“Four of every 10 seniors in North Carolina will be living with Alzheimer’s disease by 2025,” explains Mary Ann Drummond, Carillon’s Vice-President of Operations. “Alzheimer’s is everyone’s problem. What we need is for communities to come together, to rally around seniors and families who are affected by this disease. And we think local businesses are the perfect place to grow and integrate awareness into the community.”
Drummond said her hope is to move the ALZ Aware program through a pilot demonstration in Harrisburg and then replicate it everywhere that Carillon operates an assisted living and Alzheimer’s care community for seniors.
Several other municipalities have expressed interest in ALZ Aware already, she said.
For families dealing with the devastating fallout from a loved one’s Alzheimer’s disease, the idea that one’s community will be a partner in bringing about best possible outcomes is more than just a comforting notion; it’s a testament to the healing nature of community bonds.
Posted in Alzheimer's and Dementia Care, Perspectives on Alzheimer's on June 13, 2014