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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 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 demands of caregiving may intensify as people with dementia approach the end of life. Specialized programs provided by Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services include caregiver needs assessment and care planning, education, support groups, telephone helpline, respite grants and memory screenings. Tim Benson and his family will have a team for the fourth 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. 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 free of charge. Walking for Alzheimer’s on May 7, 2017 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 Cape Cod Canal at DCR Scusset State Beach. Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal, degenerative disease of the brain that slowly diminishes a person’s ability to reason, remember, respond to the environment and carry out the most basic tasks. An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease, including 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer’s. In Massachusetts, 120,000 individuals age 65 and older have the disease. In 2015, more than 15 million caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias provided an estimated 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care valued at over $221 billion. In Massachusetts, there are now more than 332,000 unpaid caregivers caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, providing 378,000 hours of unpaid care, valued at $4.6 million. Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women and 34% are age 65 or older. “The HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s has been a tradition for 25 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, helping them to reside in the community for as long as possible. 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 & Alzheimer’s Services does with families an important part of care. We invite everyone in the community to join us on May 7 to Walk for Alzheimer’s.” Walk The HopeHealth Walk for Alzheimer’s will take place on Sunday, May 7, 2017 at the Cape Cod Canal, DCR Scusset State Beach. 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 Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services provides information, education and support for people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia — and the 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. Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services provides a wide range of services for those caring for a loved one living with dementia and their family members, healthcare professionals and community agencies. Programs include: • Family services o A telephone helpline o Initial assessment with the caregiver and other family members for counseling and disease education o Development of care management plans o Ongoing family support and counseling sessions o Support groups o Respite grants o Memory screenings o Referrals to other local resources • Professional services o Dementia certification and ongoing education for healthcare professionals o Annual professional conference focusing on current trends in dementia care education About HopeHealth HopeHealth has been enhancing the quality of life for people experiencing serious illness and loss for more than 35 years. 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. Today, the non-profit organization delivers a wide range of services for people with serious illness and their families. The HopeHealth family of services in Massachusetts includes: Hope Hospice; Hope Care for Kids; Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services and Hope Academy. The Massachusetts Pain Initiative is an affiliate of the organization. Learn more by calling (800) 642-2423 or visiting HopeHealthCo.org.