Nate Bostrom introduced Paula Chapman a Community Educator for the Alzheimer’s Association. She has worked for over fifteen years in financial services, providing education and insight to clients and their advisors during changing financial markets. She is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA™) and a member of 100 Women in Finance and the Investment & Wealth Institute. Paula is also a published author and speaker at Twin Cities events such as Listen To Your Mother and Lit Crawl Minnesota. She is currently writing a novel based on her experiences with family secrets and dementia. Paula is also a Guide and Mentor for The Firefly Sisterhood, which offers support to women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
Faced with an hour-long slide presentation, and only 25 minutes to present it, Paula did a great job of touching the critical points in this sensitive topic, starting with the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s and comparing those to typical age-related conditions and changes.
Following the warning signs, and her personal experiences within her family, Paula provided video clips that discussed the difficulties and benefits of early detection. She provided a “road map” to approach memory concerns that includes 10 questions and actions to consider:
- What changes in memory, thinking or behavior do you see?
- What else is going on the person’s life, such as health and medication changes?
- Learn about the signs and the benefits of early diagnosis.
- Has anyone else noticed the changes?
- Plan who should have a conversation with the affected person.
- Determine the best time and place to have the conversation so the person is comfortable.
- Determine what the conversation should cover? Consider writing a “script” that includes examples.
- Offer to accompany the person to visit a doctor/specialist. Examples: family physician, geriatrician, neurologist, neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, psychologist.
- If needed, multiple conversations might be needed for impacts to be seen.
- Turn to the Alzheimer’s Association for information and support.
Paula concluded her presentation by reviewing specific benefits of early recognition of memory issues.
- The person is able to have a voice in what happens next and to let people know what they want.
- Plans can be created to allow the person to live life on their own terms.
- Allows family members to decide who can do what, and how care will be provided.
- Assessments and tests can be performed.
- Symptom treatments and clinical trials can be reviewed.
For more information, contact:
Hillary Tyler, Community Services Manager, Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota; 7900 West 78th Street, Ste 100, Edina, MN 55439,| Phone 952-857-0542. Email: [email protected]. 24-hour Helpline 800-272-3900. Website: https://www.alz.org
There were times during Paula’s presentation that technical problems affected the audio and video portions. The Training and Education Center within the Alzheimer’s Association website allows you to register for Free and complete one or all 14 training modules that were briefly covered in our meeting. Website: https://training.alz.org/home
