By Suzy Wiesenhart
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, so Superior Residences of Brandon Memory Care and Senior Helpers will once again present a Virtual Dementia Tour and new this year is a National Memory Screening Program with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
The virtual tour will take place on Thursday, November 5 at Superior Residences, located at 1819 Providence Ridge Blvd. in Brandon, and is available only from 2-7 p.m. and prior reservations are required. Call 657-8587 for reservations. If you think you know what it must be like to have dementia, think again. I took the tour last year and was shocked at how difficult it was. All of your senses are tested with dementia and you are no longer able to discern one sense at a time. It is like being dropped off in the middle of Times Square every day of your life.
I know this because my mother had dementia and for her last four years, it was very difficult to be patient with her, not knowing what I have since learned from being around the great people at Superior Residences and Senior Helpers. It is unfortunate I was not able to understand her actions and reactions then. If you have someone in your life that has dementia or Alzheimer’s, do yourself a favor and take the tour. I promise you, it will be profound.
The National Memory Screening Program will be done from Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; reservations are required. Call 657-8587 for reservations. A memory screening is very much like a health screening; it is a simple, non-invasive checkup that consists of a series of questions and tasks designed to gauge memory, language and thinking skills and lasts about 10 minutes. It is important to keep in mind that screenings are not a diagnosis. You should always follow up with your physician.
Jill Andrew, Senior Solution Expert at Superior Residences had this to say about the tour and screening, “One out of two over the age of 85 is going to develop dementia; everyone will be touched and very soon. It’s important that you learn to cope with the disease.” For more information, contact Superior Residences of Brandon Memory Care at 657-8587 or visit www.SuperiorALF.com.
