Life's Journeys
New manual helps families of patients with dementia
A message from Dottie Deremo,
President/CEO, Hospice of Michigan
D
id you know Alzheimer's
disease is one of the leading
causes of death among people over
age 65? And yet, surprisingly, many
people, including physicians, do not
consider Alzheimer's or other forms
of dementia terminal illnesses.
Furthermore, despite the fact that
people in advanced stages of demen-
tia could benefit from hospice care,
only 2 percent of hospice patients
nationally have a primary diagnosis
of dementia.
We believe this will change as
more families become aware of our
new publication, "Caring for A Loved
One with Advanced Dementia:A Care
Giver's Manual."'This helpful guide
became available last month, the first
product of our new Maggie Allesee
Center for Quality of Life. We are
proud to be partnering with the
Alzheimer's Association-Michigan
chapters in its distribution.
How fortunate we were to receive
a generous donation from Fraser E.
Pomeroy, which made it possible to
commission the caregivers' guide.
Mr. Pomeroy lost his wife to
Alzheimer's disease in 1997 after
spending her final weeks at
Farmington Hills Hospice Home. We
also benefited from a grant from the
Michigan Department of Community
Health, making it possible to print
8,000 copies of the manual.
c.,. despite the fret that
people in advanced
stages of dementia could
benefit from hospice
care, only 2 percent of
hospice patients
nationally have a
primary diagnosis of
dementia."
,
our participation in a collaborative
research project with the University
of Chicago called Palliative
Excellence in Alzheimer's Care
Efforts, or the PEACE project, which
has been studying the benefits of
providing hospice care to these
patients.
Reading "A Care Giver's Manual"
will educate caregivers about the
nature of this disease: its stages and
signs, its treatment and the require-
ments for care. It emphasizes how
Based on HOM experience
The guide is based on what we
have learned from providing end-of-
life care over the past six years to
more than 1,500 patients with
dementia. It has been enhanced by
important it is for caregivers to seek
support and relief Our Hospice
program offers emotional counseling,
time off for respite care and trained
volunteers to help with household
chores.
The manual also addresses the
questions so often asked during this
stressful time. How will we be cer-
tain pain will be mitigated? How do
we know when the end is near?
As the huge Baby Boomer popula-
tion ages, the number of elderly
citizens who are at risk for dementia
will expand tremendously. We
believe it is important to provide
palliative care to those stricken with
this terminal disease, and it is equally
important to offer comfort care to
caregivers when the disease has
progressed to its final stages. We also
recognize the importance of bereave-
ment counseling and make this
available up to 13 months following
death.
To obtain copies of this outstand-
ing caregivers' manual, please call the
Alzheimer's Association's toll-free
number, 1-800-337-3827. To learn
more about Hospice care, please call
Bobbie Blitz, our Jewish liaison spe-
cialist, at 248-253-2580, ext. 4543.
Crystal Rose Ball approaches
Hospice of Michigan will hold its
17th annual Crystal Rose Ball at
7 p.m.,April 13, at the new Detroit
Science Center. Arthur Horwitz, pub-
lisher of The Detroit Jewish News,
and Lori and Maurice Pogoda, dedi-
cated Hospice volunteers, are among
the honorees. For ticket information,
Call Sue MacDonnell at 313-578-5040.
COMPLAISANT
West Bloomfield Plaza - Next to Deli Unique-855-6566
4,5
„
v :„,t„;„,
CI111151116
1 % off fzin
Come See The Largest Selection of Cruise Wear
* Arriving Daily *
za
4/5
2002
92
ngter
Count on us for everything you need
to know in your community...
Bar/Bat Mitzvah's • Health
New Arrivals • Engagements
Food • Insight and much more!
Bowling Scores
Drakeshire Men March 20: Bob
Mattler 249-276-254/779.
B'nai B'rith Morgenthau
L'Chayim/Zeiger-Gross March 18:
Steve Hoberman 216-235-201/652;
Carl Berlin 215-216-203/634;
Sandy Freeman 213-228/609; Ross
Benchik 247; Mike Rosenfeld 232;
Dennis Sobol 222; Al Yendick 213;
Bernie Goodstein 213; Jeff Zamler
203; Allen Klegon 203; Bob
Franklin 201; Barry Glazer 201;
Larry Garfinkle 201; Marty
Rosenberg 200. March 25: Bill
Zucker 232/629; Jeff Zamler 230-
213/613; Larry Garfinkle 204-
228/601; Steve Hoberman 207-211 .
; Mark Bialick 214-200; Jerry
Broida 226; Brian Cohen 224;
Dennis Sobol 220; Ross Benchik
215; Allen Klegon 213; Al Yendick
211; Rob Pliskow 208; Carl Berlin
203; Jerry Kahn 202; Bill Yaker
202; Don Morton 200; Bob
Franklin 200.
B'nai B'rith Downtown-Fox March
19: David Koloff 224-215/633; Joe
Shanbaum 234/607; Mark Feinberg
243/603; David Shanbaum 250-
205; Larry Schlussel 238; Steve Kay
223; Bob Weiss 221; Larry Kaplan
215; Kevin Elbinger 213; David
Little 202; Arnold Levine 201;
David Lazarus 200.
B'nai B'rith Pisgah March14:
Howard Waxer 267-258/715; Lyle
Schaefer 232-245-215/692; Bryan
Levine 220-222-224/666; Jerry Lash
254-214/663; Al Mudryk 246-
217/657; Mark Rosen 213-257/657;
Mort Friedman 232-223/645; Bill
Zavier 221-223/641; Wayne Lusky
204-215-215/634; Barry Fishman
226-215/622; Allen Zuppke 204-
202-214/620; Mitch Lefton 214-
214/610; Mitch Finkel 204-
216/603; Ivan Fenyvesi 213-205;
Aron Weberman 219; Jeff Eisenberg
208; Jason Klein 224; Larry Horn
215-203; Matt Friedman 224; Bob
Mitchel 229; Steve Elkus 206; Jerry
Rose 201; Sy Gunman 200; Steve
Lusky 213; Keith Kingston 227;
Scott Liefer 214; Bruce Weberman
200; Andy Rubin 223-209; Yale
Weiner 211; Jerry Gurwin 200;
Gary Plasko 224; Shel Baskin 213.
March 21: Keith Kingston 227-237-
235/699; Shel Baskin 209-235-
230/674; Steve Lusky 224-221-