Happy New Year from the Maine Chapter

Have you made your resolutions yet? Consider volunteering!

The Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter counts on our wonderful volunteers to help us achieve our vision of creating a world without Alzheimer's disease. Whether you can spare a couple of hours a week or make a more significant time commitment, we hope you will consider joining this very special community. If you would like to be a part of our dynamic team please complete this survey >>.

Stay Connected to Support & Resources this Winter 

Maine winters are long and marked with bad travel conditions. If you find yourself snowbound by winter weather stay connected with support from the Alzheimer’s Association through your telephone! The Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter will provide a Telephone Caregiver Support Group for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who may find it difficult to travel to a meeting site. The group will "meet" on the last Thursday of each month from 10:00-11:30am beginning in January on the 31st. In addition, the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline provides reliable information and support to all those who need assistance. Call us toll-free anytime day or night at 1.800.272.3900. For more information about joining the Telephone Caregiver Support Group contact Bill Kirkpatrick at bkirkpatrick@alz.org.

Alzheimer's Association Publishes New Recommendations for Medicare Annual Wellness Visit

The Alzheimer’s Association has released guidance to help health care providers detect cognitive impairment as part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. While physicians are required to include detection of cognitive impairment as part of the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, until now there has been no comprehensive guidance to physicians on meeting this goal. Read full release here >>

Save the Date! Bid Alzheimer's Goodbye 

The Maine Chapter is excited to be hosting the first annual Bid Alzheimer's Goodbye live and silent auction on March 14th, 2013 at the Landing at Pine Point in Scarborough. Please join us for a fun-filled evening of entertainment, live bidding and refreshments. For more information, to purchase tickets or to donate an item to the auction please contact Ross Endres at rendres@alz.org.

Join Us in Welcoming New Director of Community Engagement & Outreach 

We are delighted to announce that Mark Pechenik has joined the Maine Chapter as Director of Community Engagement and Outreach. A native New Yorker, Mark’s background includes positions as Director of Volunteers for HESSCO Elder Services and Director of the North Attleborough Council on Aging, both in Massachusetts. Mark’s efforts will focus on enhancing and building connections between our chapter and the larger Maine community. As part of this goal, he is developing several programs to enhance the quality of life of those living with Alzheimer’s disease. “My own mother struggled with dementia in the last years of her life so, for me, joining the Maine Chapter is deeply meaningful,” said Pechenik. “I’m very much looking forward to advancing the chapter’s goals and being part of the effort to bring an end to Alzheimer’s disease.” Mark can be reached at mpechenik@alz.org.

Maine Chapter Pilots New Early Stage Programming 

The Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter will host a “Winter Birding Snowshoe Trek” on Friday, January 25th, at Maine Audubon Society’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. The snowshoe trek is part of a new initiative called the Outdoors Club. The club will seek to present healthful, appropriate and interesting outdoor activities for those living with Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the Maine Chapter will be piloting a Legacy Writers program. The 10-session pilot project will launch on Thursday, February 21st, and will be dedicated to helping those diagnosed with early stage or early onset Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementias write their life stories. To register for these new programs contact Mark Pechenik at mpechenik@alz.org. 

Senate Aging Committee Releases Report 

This month, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging released a report >>examining how five nations — the United States, Australia, France, Japan and Britain — are responding to growing numbers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The Alzheimer's Association has been the leading voice calling for the creation of the National Alzheimer’s Plan released in 2012. The plan outlines the important goal of preventing Alzheimer's disease by 2025. Join us now as we urge Congress to implement the National Plan and help achieve our vision of creating a world without Alzheimer's disease. Sign up to become an advocate today >>

Maine Chapter Resource Links

About the Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. The Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter serves the entire State of Maine from its Scarborough office. There are more than 37,000 families in Maine who are affected by Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. alz.org/maine

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