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HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s Make life better for local families impacted by the sixth leading cause of death Hyannis, Mass. – HopeHealth’s Walk for Alzheimer’s provides essential funding for information, education and support services for people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia—and families and professionals who care for them. Caring for someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia can be a difficult physical, emotional and mental challenge. Caregiving can go on for years and requires special understanding, patience and skills. Specialized programs provided by Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services include assessment, individual and group counseling, education, telephone support, respite care and much more. Tim Benson and his family will have a team for the third year in a row at the HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s. When Tim was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, he didn’t know much about the disease. Then he found out about Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services. “I learned a lot from them very quickly,” Benson says. “The support groups became my life blood. It’s been a godsend to us. Their services help us navigate this journey with Alzheimer’s. I’m looking forward to seeing lots of teams out there for a cause that really matters. Bring your family and friends so others challenged by this disease can benefit from the kind of services I’ve had.” You can make a difference in the lives of those battling this disease. When you walk, you help thousands across eastern Massachusetts receive essential care and support services. Many of HopeHealth’s dementia and Alzheimer’s disease services are provided free of charge. Walking for Alzheimer’s on May 15, 2016 will help provide services for thousands of local families who are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Sign up today at HopeHealthCo.org/Walk. This year’s walk is at a new location: Cape Cod Canal at DCR Scusset State Beach. According to the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders State Plan, every sixty-nine seconds another American develops Alzheimer’s disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth leading cause of death for those 65 and older. One in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. Nearly one in three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or another dementia. In 2014, more than 15.7 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias provided an estimated 17.9 billion hours of unpaid care valued at nearly $220 billion. In Massachusetts, there are now more than 329,000 unpaid caregivers caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women and 34% are age 65 or older. Sixty percent of these caregivers report high levels of stress, while one-third report symptoms of depression. Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease is physically, emotionally and financially challenging. The demands for day-to-day care, changing family roles and difficult decisions about placement in a care facility can be hard to handle. “The HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s has been a tradition for 24 years, providing funds to support dementia and Alzheimer’s programs in the community,” said Diana Franchitto, president & CEO of HopeHealth. “Better access to and knowledge of services can help caregivers provide a higher quality of care to loved ones as the disease progresses. Most of the care provided to people with Alzheimer’s is delivered at home by family members. Research states that people with the disease often stay home between six months to 1.5 years longer if the family caregivers receive support, making the work Hope Dementia does with families an important part of care. We invite everyone in the community to join us on May 15th to Walk for Alzheimer’s.” Walk The 2016 HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s will take place on Sunday, May 15, 2016 at the Cape Cod Canal, DCR Scusset State Beach – New Location. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. with the walk starting at 10:00 a.m. A website is available to make registration and fundraising easier – visit HopeHealthCo.org/Walk to sign up as a team or an individual walker. For questions about the HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s, please contact (508) 957-0282 or Walk@HopeHealthCo.org. Services in the Community The HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s provides funding for essential services provided by Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services in the community. The organization provides a wide range of services for those living with dementia and their caregivers, healthcare professionals and community agencies. Programs include: • Telephone helpline • Educational support groups for caregivers and individuals with memory impairment • Respite grants • Memory screenings • Care management plans and family consultations • Dementia certification for professionals • Professional conferences on the latest dementia research • Programs for family caregivers, community members and agencies • Referrals to other local resources About HopeHealth HopeHealth has been enhancing the quality of life for people experiencing serious illness and loss for more than 35 years. Today, the non-profit organization delivers a wide range of services for people with serious illness and their families. In 2012, Alzheimer’s Services of Cape Cod & the Islands affiliated with the non-profit organization to enhance and expand its programs and community services. The HopeHealth family of services in Massachusetts includes: Hope Hospice; Hope HouseCalls; Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services; and Hope Academy. The Massachusetts Pain Initiative is an affiliate of the organization. Hope Hospice & Palliative Care Rhode Island, formerly Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island, affiliated with HopeHealth in 2016. Learn more by calling (800) 642-2423 or visiting HopeHealthCo.org.