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Forum will Explore Aspects of Alzheimer's
Steve Eighinger, Herald-Whig
August 23, 2004
It is never too early - or too late - to prepare for the far-reaching effects Alzheimer's disease can have on a family.
That's why the Quincy Area Branch of the Alzheimer's Association is sponsoring a free legal and medical forum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Quincy Senior and Family Resource Center, 639 York. The meeting will be held in the local chapter's headquarters on the second floor.
Attorney Tom Leeper, who specializes in elder care, will discuss patients' rights, power of attorney, guardianship and advance directives. Leeper also will address estate planning, Medicaid, asset protection, spousal impoverishment and wills.
"The average citizen tends to put off dealing with these kinds of things, because they involve death ... and we don't want to think about death," Leeper said.
Leeper said these issues will become increasingly more important as the nation's elderly population continues to rise in the next decades, as 76 million baby boomers move into retirement.
"With longer life spans these days, that will mean more people will also be suffering from Alzheimer's," Leeper said. "Having up-to-date (information about legal procedures and rights) is important."
Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain which normally afflicts older adults. Patients slowly lose their ability to remember, think, communicate and take care of themselves.
Dr. Tim Beth of Family Medicine Associates will provide overviews of the disease and explain various stages of treatment and research updates.
"We're going to deal with the importance of screening for Alzheimer's and what is available in terms of treatments," Beth said. "I don't think most people realize what is available in regard to treatment and service."
Recent Alzheimer's research also has indicated the disease may be slowed by more positive lifestyle changes earlier in life. This subject also will addressed during the forum, according to Janet Veach, branch manager of the Quincy chapter.
"We see increasing evidence that healthy lifestyle habits may decrease the risk of Alzheimer's," Veach said. "Managing your numbers - your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as your body weight - contribute to healthier aging."
Alzheimer's currently afflicts 4.5 million Americans, including 3,400 in the five-county area served by the local chapter. Adams, Pike, Brown, Hancock and Schuyler counties make up the area served by the Quincy Branch Office.
More information about the forum is available by calling (217) 228-1111.
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