Senior Helpers hosts a half-hour radio program each week called Everything Elderly. It’s specific to senior-related topics, with a focus on health. The show is on 1290 am WLBY, every Saturday morning at 8:30. On today’s program, we were really pleased to have Jennifer Howard from the Alzheimer’s Association, and Cindy Morley with Parents Changing Spaces.

Jennifer Howard is the Interim Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, the Great Lakes chapter. This chapter supports a 23 county area, including Washtenaw. The organization has two fundamental goals; to support research to find a cure (the vision is “A World without Alzheimer’s”), and to provide programs and services at a local level.

Jennifer spoke of the community support groups that connect people dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. These groups are a really useful way for folks to get help and feel less isolated.

Jennifer has been working with the Alzheimer’s Association for eleven years. She has really enjoyed meeting hundreds of caregivers that have loved ones with Alzheimer’s. She has heard so many different stories, an education that has really helped her understand the disease and its impact on families.

The association gets lots of calls looking for help. Caregivers call seeking advice and counsel for their specific situation, and professionals call looking for information. The association supports a 24-hour hotline (1-800-272-3900).

The organization does a large amount of fundraising. Memory Walks are held around the country in the fall. The Ann Arbor event will be held October 10 at Gallup Park. And next week, it’s the “Summer Somewhere: Play Ball!“ event. This is Friday evening, March 19th, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Washtenaw Community College (Morris Lawrence Building). There is going to be plenty of food and drink, live music, silent auctions, and lots of baseball-themed fun - all for just $35 per person.

There are 5.3 million people in the U.S. struggling with Alzheimer’s, including 180,000 in Michigan. Every 70 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Jennifer is very knowledgeable about the current state of Alzheimer’s research. It was great to hear her say that we’re going to beat this disease. Within 15-20 years, hopefully the Alzheimer’s Association will be out of business! If you would like to contact the Alzheimer’s Association office in Chelsea, or Jennifer Howard, you may call 734-475-7043. You can also visit their local website at alz.org/mglc. To listen to the full 13-minute discussion, click on this link to the audio file Everything Elderly Jennifer Howard 0313.mp3.

Cindy Morley is the owner of Parents Changes Spaces, a free senior living referral service. The company’s objective is to help families locate and secure alternative living arrangements when a loved one can no longer live independently. Cindy’s company takes the stress out of the lives of elderly parents and their families.

Parents Changing Spaces started about three years ago. It’s a family organization, and Cindy works with several family members to provide a very useful service.

If you have an elderly father and/or mother you should pay close attention to how they handle their daily chores. Seniors can become overwhelmed with laundry, cleaning, and meal preparation. They may forget to pay bills, and more importantly forget to take their medications. Cindy can help families address these concerns.

Parents Changing Spaces works closely with each family to fully understand their specific needs and requirements. Then they develop appropriate customized options. There is no charge to the client for Cindy’s services. Her organization is compensated by referral fees from the facilities in the senior community.

Parents Changing Spaces works with all income levels. Cindy knows and understands the various government programs available for senior housing assistance, including My Choice and the Veterans Administration programs. And she covers all of southeast Michigan.

Cindy loves seeing the relief on the faces of the families when their loved one has found the optimal living situation, and their mom/dad is happy and making new friends. She shared a great story where a married couple found “their little slice of heaven.”

To get in touch with Cindy Morley or Parents Changing Spaces, please call 248-875-2052, or go to the website parentschangingspaces.com. If you’d like to listen to the full 11-minute discussion, click on this link to the audio file Everything Elderly Cindy Morley 0313.mp3.

Alan Caldwell is the owner of Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. He can be contacted at acaldwell@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.