101 Activities To Do With Your Loved One

Dear Friends,
In a few weeks we are helping a church do a short training for a group of church members who are starting a shut-in outreach. While some of our training will be about the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's disease, a big focus will be engaging activities during a visit.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a GIANT list of activities you can do with your loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia. Keeping a loved one engaged with daily activities can ease anxiety and agitation, and most importantly help maintain independence and motor skills. If you have other favorite activities you would like to suggest to other caregivers, feel free to add them in the comments below.

Click here for 101 Activities!

AlzNews

• There are a few spots left in our training on Thursday, Alzheimer's Disease: Basics of Best Care. This training meets the 2-hour dementia care training requirement for long term care staff. The training will be held in Charleston, to register call 800.272.3900 or email wvinfo@alz.org. 
• Dancing Through Time THIS WEEKEND!! WOHOO!! We can't wait, dancers have been hard at work practicing and raising funds!! There are still tickets available, click here to order online OR call 800.272.3900.
•  2014 Alzheimer's Association Facts & Figures will be released on Wednesday, March 19. This is the Association's annual compilation of statistics about Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for important updates and new statistics. 
• Caregiver University is right around the corner! Click here for a list of events happening near you AND to register! 
• Walk to End Alzheimer's Corporate Sponsorship: We are in the process of finalizing our corporate sponsorship for the 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer's season! Corporate Sponsorship is a great way to support an important cause, while getting your name/logo on thousands of t-shirts, posters, post cards and events across the state. For more information contact, Kaarmin Ford, kford@alz.org or 800.272.3900. 

Old Standby

Each week I share a recipe with you as a reminder to take care of yourself. For me, cooking is my favorite de-stresser. However, there are some nights that it is more stress than I can handle. And that is when I lean on my favorite ingredients to make a dull weeknight meal a little bit more special. 

So, this week I thought I would share my FAVORITE weeknight spicer-upper. Rendezvous Famous Seasoning. I can still remember my first trip to Rendezvous, up the alley from the Peabody in Memphis, TN. Rendezvous seasoning once was only found at the famous rib shack - but now through the wonders of the internet you can order it right to your doorstep. The seasoning is not just great on ribs but, adds spice to burgers, chicken and pork chops! It sure made last night's pork chops seem like a weekend gourmet! 

Until next week! 

Laurel K.

lkirksey@alz.org

@laurelmk