Oct 16, 2020 Last month, a documentary movie—Robin’s Wish—was released about Robin Williams’ illness and death. Unknown to many of us, Robin Williams was living with Lewy body dementia for the last few years of his life. This movie is likely the first time many people will hear the phrase Lewy body dementia. Even though…
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Dec 29, 2019 If you saw someone living with dementia, would you recognize the signs? Would you be uncomfortable? Would you avoid them? Would you be frustrated? Would you do nothing? Or, would you be a friend? A few weeks ago, I became a “Dementia Friend.” Dementia Friends is a global movement that is changing…
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Jul 5, 2019 In the past two weeks, the Senior Lookout column has reviewed the steps taken by the Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann (ADFCA) initiative. This week, I would like to discuss the resulting ADFCA Action Plan. The ADFCA Action Plan is broken into ten Areas of Focus, with an overall goal defined…
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Jun 28, 2019 In last week’s Senior Lookout column, I described the actions taken by the Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann (ADFCA) initiative. This week, I would like to discuss the community needs assessment findings. The population of Cape Ann in 2016 was approximately 46,000. Of the four communities, Gloucester is the largest with…
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Jun 21, 2019 A global shift has occurred. We are living longer—often healthier—lives. This exciting change creates both opportunities and new challenges. One response to this change has been the development of Age Friendly and Dementia Friendly movements throughout the U.S. and the world. These initiatives work to encourage communities to recognize older adults and…
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May 3, 2019 This Wednesday, May 1st, the Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann initiative held a community forum at the Elks at Bass Rocks. The goal of the event was to explore how Cape Ann can become a place where all residents–regardless of age or health status–can thrive. In last week’s article, I looked…
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Apr 26, 2019 Next Wednesday, May 1st, there will be a community forum at the Elks at Bass Rocks in Gloucester. “Aging Together: a Summit to Explore Building a Community for All Ages” will review the efforts of the Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann initiative—a project of the four communities of Cape Ann—and will…
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Jan 2, 2019 My parents live in northern Arizona. Although they have three grown children, they live alone with thousands of miles between them and their closest family member. This didn’t happen by design. It just happened as our lives unfolded. My Father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago and my Mother is his…
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