By Jacob Lange
NKyTribune intern
The Alois Alzheimer Foundation and the Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation will partner to provide an educational program for caregivers and those they love living with Alzheimer’s disease.
The event is set for 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 2718 Dixie Highway in Crestview Hills.
The program will feature a continental breakfast, exhibits and breakout sessions on caregiving topics such as estate planning, wills, trusts, power of attorney, tax planning, long-term care insurance, and behavior management. Kenton County District Court Judge Ann Ruttle will host a session on guardianship.
Charles Puchta, an award-winning author, will deliver the keynote address. His newest book CAREGIVING Ready or Not, was released in 2009. Puchta is the president of Care Ministry and the former director of the Center for Aging and Dignity at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing.
Ruth Klette, the trustee of the Elsa Sule Foundation who helped plan the program, explained that when people realize that they or someone in their family have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they have questions.
“Is it too late to make a will or change a will or trust? How can I plan financially for managing the situation? When can I get long-term care insurance? How much does it cost? When should I – or should I – have Mom declared incompetent by the court? How does that work? How do I file Dad’s tax return, or how do I defend a tax audit? What are some tax traps in providing care for Aunt Jane? What do I do when I burn out caring for Mom, I can’t take her with me, she says and does embarrassing things?”
Elsa Sule, a longtime resident of Covington, was an original member of the Ruth Lyons and Bob Braun 50/50 Club shows and was in charge of the Ruth Lyons Children’s Christmas Fund. Near the end of her life, she had dementia, and so Ruth Klette believes this program is especially appropriate as an outreach of the foundation to partner with Alois.
“The Alois Alzheimer Foundation’s mission is to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations to encourage responsible research, provide leading education and increase the awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia,” said Marvin Knobloch, director of outreach services for the Alois Alzheimer Foundation.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report and accounts for an estimated 60-80 percent of all dementia cases. The disease was identified more than 100 years ago, but research has only gained momentum within the past 30 years.
According to the report, an estimated 5.2 million Americans have the disease, and one person in nine over the age of 65 has the disease. Research shows that as people age, they are more likely to develop the disease. One third of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, according to research.
The most common initial symptom for the disease is the gradually worsening ability to remember new information. As the disease worsens more symptoms begin to occur such as difficulty completing daily tasks, problems with words and speaking, misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps and more. These symptoms make it difficult for those living with Alzheimer’s disease to function on a day-to-day basis without the help of full-time caregivers.
The Elsa Heisel Sule Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 2004 and makes grants to private, nonprofit organizations and public agencies in the tri-state area.
Although the program is free, registration is encouraged and those wanting to attend can register by calling the Alois Alzheimer Foundation, 513-605-1000 or at the website, http://aloisalzheimerfoundation.org/category/education/.
Jacob Lange is a journalism senior at the University of Kentucky. He is from Northern Kentucky.