I wondered to myself, could we reach all 5 million Alzheimer's caregivers that are currently using the Internet and are Internet savvy? I read your comments under the previous article and the emails you sent me.Six Degrees of Separation and the Alzheimer's Reading Room (1).
Your feedback filled me with a sense of empowerment. The kind of energy you need to form a vision, define a mission, and formulate a series of goals. In order to achieve a goal you must have a plan.
By +Bob DeMarco
+Alzheimer's Reading Room
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone on Earth is on average approximately six steps away from any other person on Earth. I am sitting here wondering could we, collectively, reach all the Alzheimer's caregivers that are using the Internet?
Why not? As Alzheimer's caregivers we have a unique bond and a unique empathy for each other. We care. We care for our loved one; and, we care about other Alzheimer's caregivers.
By circumstance, or by choice, we seek out other Alzheimer's caregivers. We seek those who understand us. The only other person(s) that can really understand how we think and feel. Who understand the life we live each and every day.
This handout I created below is a first step as I continue to formulate the necessary vision and mission statement that will be necessary to carry out a successful effort.
It dawned on me that we should have a readily accessible flier, handout, and email marketing tool that could be printed or easily emailed to others. I am sure we can improve this, or develope alternative versions that work across environments.
You can go here to get a printable version or simply copy and paste the information below.
Feel free to distribute this via email or print. Targets would include support groups, friends at work, message boards, an entire email address book, meetings, and conferences.
Alzheimer's Reading Room
www.alzheimersreadingroom.com
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer's community. The site focuses on Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Alzheimer's caregivers, and the art of Alzheimer's caregiving.
Each day, 1,232 people are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Each day thousands of new Alzheimer's caregiver are born.
You should find the following information useful.
One of most frequently asked question by Alzheimer's caregivers is -- What is the Difference Between Alzheimer's disease and dementia?
This continues to be one of the most sought after articles on our website month after month. You can find the article here:
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2014/08/difference-between-alzheimers-and-dementia.html
In this articles -- How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You -- geriatric care manager Carole Larkin explains how and why Alzheimer's patients can't remember. And, why they frequently ask the same questions over and over.
Most caregivers say this article helped them to understand how Alzheimer's and loss of memory are related. You can find the article here:
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2011/01/how-loss-of-memory-works-in-alzheimers.html
Most Alzheimer's caregivers find communicating with someone suffering from Alzheimer's difficult.
In these two article -- Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's World, Trying to Reconnect with Someone Suffering from Alzheimer's Disease -- Bob DeMarco explains how he learned to communicate effectively with his mother Dorothy who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. And, how he did this by moving into her world which he named Alzheimer's World.
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2011/01/learning-how-to-communicate-with.html
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2010/09/alzheimers-world-trying-to-reconnect.html
Bob DeMarco founded the Alzheimer's Reading Room when he realized that Alzheimer's caregivers are often thrust into their role with little or no experience, training, or education about Alzheimer's disease; and that, they needed the kinds of help and advice that would allow them to make it through the day.
The Collective Brain of the Alzheimer's Reading Room has grown to more than 4,000 members across the entire Alzheimer's community. The readership grows every day. Mostly by word of mouth.
The primary goal of the website it to empower Alzheimer's caregivers and to remind them daily that they -- Are Not Alone.
The Alzheimer's Reading Room is a free resource. Please join us.
After repeatedly correcting my mother, telling her she just ate, and watching her get frustrated or angry, I finally realized something had to change -- this something was Me.
-- Bob DeMarco
http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com