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When a person wanders from home, the first call goes to 911. First responders and emergency personnel are dispatched by police and fire agencies to find the person who wandered and return them to the safety of their home.

As anyone who has known or provided care for a person with dementia knows, the behaviors and communication issues which accompany the disease can be challenging. The Alzheimer’s Association is working with police, fire and other emergency responders to provide training and strategy.

Pictured above are Michael Massurin, the Chapter’s Central Regional Director, and Town of Dewitt Chief of Police Eugene J. Conway. The town sponsored a series of trainings for law enforcement, which were conducted by Massurin. The Dewitt, Baldwinsville and North Syracuse police departments were represented as were the Onondaga County Park Rangers.

If you are a first responder and believe your agency could benefit from our dementia training, contact us today.

We’ve had a location change on our Skaneateles support group. Please make a note of the following:

Peregrine Home Care Services
1551 East Genesee St.
1st Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Chapter Staff: (315) 472-4201

A note from our programs and services department:

The Dexter support group will take the summer off. The group, which meets every 4th Monday at 7 p.m. will go on hiatus until September 28.

Find a support group in your area by visiting alzcny.org.

The Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter support group at the Van Duyn Home and Hospital in Syracuse is taking the summer off. The group will reconvene on October 1.

The Central New York Chapter has made a few changes to its list of support groups. Among them are:

• The creation of a group in Newport, N.Y. at Kuyahoora Community Outreach
• The cancellation of the Utica-area group at The Pines
• New meeting times for the groups in Cortland and Fayetteville

Visit our website for a complete list of support groups.

Menorah Park of CNY, which conducts one of our Syracuse-area support groups, will focus its May meeting around caregiving guilt. Kathy Nordby, a licensed medical social worker from Hospice of CNY, will discuss talk about overcoming the stress of caregiving and issues with caregiver guilt. Christian and Jewish clergy will also be on hand to answer questions from a religious perspective.

The group is scheduled to meet on May 12, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the facility, 4101 E. Genesee Street in Syracuse. Call (315) 446-7346 to learn more.

The chapter’s support group in Dexter, N.Y. will move its May meeting date. The group meets on the 4th Monday of each month, but due to Memorial Day it will meet on May 18.

The Dexter support group meets at the Dexter United Methodist Church on West Kirby Street.

Some time ago, we mentioned our joint program with Syracuse’s Crouse Hospital — The ABCs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care. This two-part program at the Marley Education Center was designed to answer questions about the disease, how to respond in an emergency and discuss hospitalization. The program was an undisputed success. Reservations for the programs booked quickly and registration had to close well in advance of the program.

At right, Michael Massurin, director of programs and services for the Chapter, discusses the impact of Alzheimer’s disease with those in attendance.

More photos inside…

Central New York is home to more than 130,000 Alzheimer’s caregivers. This special population provides around-the-clock care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease while working, caring for their own families and tending to their own personal needs. Education remains the greatest tool in providing high quality care for those living with the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter and Crouse Hospital have partnered to present The ABC’s of Alzheimer’s and Dementia, a two-part series on Alzheimer’s care. The free programs are scheduled for April 7 and 14 from 7-9 p.m. at Crouse’s Marley Education Center, 765 Irving Ave. in Syracuse.

Dementia experts from the Alzheimer’s Association and Crouse Hospital will partner on the April 7 session, presenting both an introduction to the disease and what to do in case of hospitalization — how to prepare for a hospital stay, advocating for the person with Alzheimer’s and how to communicate with the hospital staff. The April 14 session will focus on how to manage the challenging behaviors related to Alzheimer’s disease. The presentation will be followed by a discussion with chapter and hospital staff.

While the programs are free, reservations are required by calling 472-2464.