- With Mayo Clinic health education outreach coordinator
Angela Lunde
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
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Alzheimer's blog
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March 20, 2012
Alzheimer's community gathers to share hope, love
By Angela Lunde
The 2012 Alzheimer's Association and Mayo Clinic "Meeting of the Minds" Conference is behind us. Possibly the most incredible part of the day was the 80 degree temperature — mid-March in Minnesota!
Actually, the weather was unusual, but what was really magical was the gathering of more than 1,200 family and professional caregivers, world renowned researchers, spiritual leaders, aging services providers, persons living with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, U.S. senators and a professional comedian. The energy of support, hope, love, and community this event created is indescribable.
Special thanks to all of those who attended the conference and humbly shared their stories: Cathy and Dave, Ron and Sandy, Ron and Debbie, Tom and Julie and so many others. And thanks to Ron, Annette, Mary, Carol, Alan and many others who found me to say hello and offer your kind words about this blog and the newsletter.
My heartfelt admiration goes to Dick and Carol, a couple living with early stage Alzheimer's who opened the conference by inviting us to share their story. Dick, a retired psychotherapist, was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (now Alzheimer's) three years ago at the age of 62. Here is a piece of what he shared:
"The shock of my diagnosis was hard for us, but it was easier than the denial we'd been living with. With the diagnosis we learned how impermanent our well-ordered lives were ... but we are living to tell about it and able to move forward ... becoming stronger, more loving, more patient, more spiritual ... I have learned to be honest with myself about my changing self and my changing life. It frees me and it frees my family and friends if all of us can be open and honest."
Dr. Kristine Yaffe, who directs the memory disorders program at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and is a professor at the University of California-San Francisco, provided an overview on Alzheimer's prevention. A few things look promising in reducing risk or delaying dementia symptoms. These include exercising the mind and the body and good sleep hygiene.
Dr. Yaffe pointed out that many diseases of the body play a role in cognitive aging, so when we take good care of our body we are taking care of our mind. And with new ways to imagine the brain, we have now opened the door for the discovery of drugs that can alter the course of the disease and one day prevent Alzheimer's.
Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle, author of "Ten Thousand Joys & Ten Thousand Sorrows", beautifully spoke of taking care of her late husband with Alzheimer's. She described caring for him as her "meditation practice," encompassing the training and teachings of patience, generosity, compassion, loving kindness, effort and equanimity. "We all go through floods of adversity in our life but the last chapter of life is our most heroic — all of our greatness is called for ... Alzheimer's is the full catastrophe ... we wake up to the preciousness of life and find grace at one level when another is diminishing," Olivia said.
A Living Well Workshop for families with early stage dementia, as well as an abundance of breakout sessions and a book signing rounded out the afternoon.
Conference participants were reminded that earlier this year President Obama signed the National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) into law. Dr. Ronald Petersen, chairman of the NAPA advisory council and director of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, took the stage at the end of the day to offer comments about this landmark legislation — destined to ensure strategic planning and coordination of the fight against Alzheimer's across the entire nation.
"We recognize that the Alzheimer's crisis is no longer emerging — but has arrived," Petersen said. That was followed by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken enthusiastically ensuring us of their full attention to fight this disease and support funding for research.
Lastly, Susan Voss, comedian and author, made us laugh-a perfect ending.
"Without the human community one single human being cannot survive."
— The Dalai Lama
14 comments posted
May 7, 2012 12:18 p.m.
Does anyone have any information of preparing a Family Caregiver Agreement so that as I take care of my 86-year-old Mom with Alzheimers full-time, so I can be paid for my services to off-set the $45,000.00/year salary I gave up when my Dad died? I understand a legal document has to be prepared to stand up to Medicaid/Veterans assistance scrutiny, and so the IRS does not consider any monies paid a "gift." I am feeling a bit guilty about this but neither my brother or sister help in any way and there is still "enough of Mom" that I don't think assisted living is appropriate quite yet.
- Deb
April 10, 2012 10:23 p.m.
Don,You seem very compasionate and Loving to your wife. Is it possible you have someone in your,or her family you can confide in? Someone you could just talk with and help you to "sort" things out. If her care with her physician isn't what you expect,maybe another "look" into what might help her,would be resonable to do.Don't give up on her doctor, make him or her, listen. I know you seem alone in this, but do not stop searching for an answer,or help.Prayers in Wis for you and your wife.
- Catherine
April 4, 2012 8:55 p.m.
I find your comments helpful but at times I don't know where to turn. When this woman I've loved with all my heart sobs and says "What's wrong with me and can't you help me?" It breaks my heart when at times all I can do is hold her and hug her and that doesn't do much to calm her. She is on anxiety medications but they often aren't the answer. At times I just don't know where to turn. I find her doctors aren't all that helpful. They are never here when she, and I, need their counsel the most. It can be a helpless and lonely feeling.
- Don
March 28, 2012 5:32 p.m.
I am looking for hope where right now there seems none. My older female partner of thirteen years, had a stroke 20 months ago. I have gallantly tried to keep up with her needs but her mind seems to have taken a road of its own (vascular dimentia) and now it is crying and anger and almost no memory, with legal battles I am fighting to keep her safe, and trying to keep her family up on declining abilities. After a life in the closet, her mind had its way of facing and sharing what was true, from what was private. Now, with the walls between worlds melting from the inside, caring for her is getting harder and more scary for me. Love to you all battling these same issues, WOW! Chelsea
- Chelsea
March 28, 2012 1:44 p.m.
I cried as I read these responses, they have brought back so many precious memories of my mom, I remembered saying goodbye in my mind so many times to my mom, I basically was storing up memories for the times I wouldn't have her with me.One morning , I sneaked into her bedroom( afraid of waking her), when I turned around she was awake looking at me with this beautiful smile, I immediately went to her and give her a big kiss on her forehead with a chirpy good morning.I felt so bless seeing that smile and knowing she knew I cared and was there for her,of all the memories, that smile maintains me down to this day. I have learnt much and I'm readily sharing with everyone I meet who is now in this journey , if I can travel with them part of the way, I feel privileged to have done so.
- Dalhia
March 28, 2012 10:59 a.m.
Catherine - you are blessed with a wonderful caring spirit and I thank you for recommending the book by Max Lucado. I just ordered it and am anxiously waiting for its delivery. Today is yet another gift of having my sweetheart with me. He is such a blessing to us!
- Pat
March 27, 2012 10:43 p.m.
You are correct Pat.... He will Never leave....or Forsake us, your commitment and Love for your husband is un-ending,that is clear a Gift, that is true, cherish it as you are, God has Blessed him with peace, and you with memories.(you have the harder part) When you are up to it..I just picked up a book I read from Max Lucado, he is my favorit author, it is called "For The Tough Times" "Reaching Toward Heaven for Hope" It is to the point, Please, like I said , when you feel up to it. A Believer.
- Catherine
March 24, 2012 2:59 p.m.
I'm sharing with you some comments from an article I read about Patti Davis, former Pres. Ronald Reagan's daughter. She ended by saying:"Some of us have already said goodbye to the one who died in countless ways before death actually arrived, but the weight of grief is still there, as well as feelings that have been bottled up for years. Others are in earlier stages of journey." Details of people's situations vary, but what bonds us is the knowledge that Alzheimer's is grief in slow motion. From the first symptoms, we start to say goodbye - to small things first but later to huge swaths of the loved one's identity - to pieces of their personality, memories and familiarity of shared history. We have no control over what vanishes. We keep saying goodbye, month after month, year after year, until we end up sitting silently at bedsides, hoping that love can be felt even when words can no longer be understood. We come to help each other across rough terrain. Mostly we come to feel a little less alone." My fellow caregivers, this is where I am now. Sitting, telling my sweetheart about and thanking him for our wonderful life together, playing "old" favorite songs of ours, reading to him (and quietly weeping) over old saved greeting cards while listening for the occasional "I love you" or "hi hon" coming from my husband's all too silent - yet much welcomed peacefulness! How fortunate I am! God said he would never leave us or forsake us a
- Pat
March 24, 2012 2:33 p.m.
I haven't blogged in recent months which involved several hospital visits for my blind, 75 year old husband suffering from end stage vascular dementia causing him unrelenting "screaming" for days on end for over 6 months with no answers from the best docs. I took him home from the last hospital visit with "new" drugs that somewhat diminished the constant screaming but his body quickly got used to the drugs and his screaming returned full force. I had promised him (although he probably didn't understand) that I was not going to have him suffer the trauma anymore of being hospitalized. So, after 13 hours of uncontrolled screaming and knowing that he needed emergency care, I remembered what they had done in the emergency rooms at the last two hospitals he was taken to. They gave him 5mg of haldol with a 5mg booster if needed. That allowed him to sleep in the ER. I located his unused haldol and I crushed 5mg in applesauce and gave it to him. Within 10 minutes he SLEPT the sweet peaceful sleep that had eluded him for months. I called his doctor first thing in the morning and told her what I had done. She said I used "good judgment" and has allowed me to continue to give him the haldol which he gets every night for the past 3 months and sleeps like a baby. I tell you this because all of us were at wits end to find an answer. So,the haldol works for my sweetheart. Recently he was not expected to survive, he DID, God is good...he is a GIFT to
- Pat
March 22, 2012 1:34 p.m.
I sure wish I could get an invitationn next year.
- Rod
March 22, 2012 1:16 p.m.
Hi! Mt dad has alzeihmer/dementia, I have put him a nursing home last year. He has impaired judgement skills, and he has had several mini strokes, I hope I have done the right thing, I talk to the staff at the home 2 or 3 times a month, I have been assured that he is well looked, I have not much family, I hope you all understand.
- nadine
March 22, 2012 12:39 p.m.
I am grateful (and impressed) with people who recognize and appreciate what we do, noting that many family members simply "will not". This especially nice when it can come from someone who has never lived this kind of life. Sometimes it is a nurse or a neighbor or just someone I meet in passing. Encouragement can come from anywhere. It's nice when someone notices.
- Bonnie
March 22, 2012 11:40 a.m.
To be able to gather and receive information to pass along to others that care for loved ones is truly amazing, my hat is off to the people who do this for a living. When you in a homecare/nursing home setting and you see the smile on an elderly person smile because you know what you are doing because of the work you guys do let me tell you your work reverbrates to every nursing facility in the U.S.
- estelle
March 20, 2012 11:18 p.m.
Surreal Days! We must dream onward, higher, and higher. Just read Mayo's "Stress Blog"...special day-March 20, 2012 for all of us. Thanks for sharing the wonderful day with all of us. So grateful for the scope of attendees-all together for the same mission. Results will follow from all of the dedication, spirit and love that went into planning the event. There's nothing like the experience of HOPE shared together. I can feel it right here, now, as a Mayo patient in Jacksonville. We are all with you!
- Dystonia Hat Lady
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