In The News | Summer 2018 Newsletter
Music resonates in very significant ways with people who have Alzheimer’s and dementia – awakening within them memories and feelings long ago forgotten. This is precisely why CaringKind’s connect2culture® program partnered with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for a very special concert performed specifically for an audience made up entirely of individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their caregivers.
NY 1 News and News 12 Brooklyn were both on site at the Brooklyn Museum this May to capture footage and report on the event. NY 1’s coverage included an interview with CaringKind’s new President and CEO Jed Levine.
And just like the arts, technology is having an increasingly important role in the Alzheimer’s community. In April, CaringKind hosted its 2nd annual Technology Fair, featuring more than twenty vendors who showcased a broad array of products that assist people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as their caregivers. Hundreds of caregivers came out to our Lexington Avenue office and got hands-on experience with technologies than can make their lives easier. Dr. Max Gomez, CBS 2 Medical Reporter, was given an exclusive to cover the event. There he interviewed Jed about how helpful these technologies can be for individuals and families. Dr. Gomez even tried out the virtual reality platform, which is designed for the 65+ population, allowing residents of senior living communities to explore the world. The Channel 2 coverage was picked up by MSN, which gets millions of viewers.
Broadway World and New York City Patch both reported that Tony Award winning actor, tireless Alzheimer’s advocate and longtime supporter of CaringKind, David Hyde Pierce would serve as emcee for this year’s “Forget-Me-Not” Gala.
Thanks to the efforts of CaringKind’s Wanderer’s Safety Program, WPIX-TV, Channel 11 and the Washington Heights Patch both reported on New Yorkers who wandered and went missing, seeking New York City residents to keep an eye out for their missing neighbors. Both of the women who went missing were found and returned home safely.
The Upper West Side Patch reported on the TackleALZ NYC game that took place in May. The piece included several photos of the Blondetourage and the BruCrew teams decked out in their CaringKind orange and blue.
Lou-Ellen Barkan’s April “Care Chronicle” column provided advice on living alone with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Her take? It really depends on how far advanced the disease is. She provided tips, however, for families whose relatives are living alone such as leaving a set of keys with a trusted neighbor, asking a friend or relative to look in on them when you can’t be there, and not letting mail pile up. She also advised caregivers keep an eye on food expiration dates, that medication is being taken, and to ensure that electrical appliances are in good working condition.
In May’s edition of CNG’s “Care Chronicle,” Lou-Ellen gave a nod to a special hero in her life – her mother who had dementia and for whom she served as caregiver. Lou-Ellen praised her late mother’s caregiving efforts for her father and thanked her for instilling in Lou-Ellen enough strength to be a caregiver herself. And, interestingly, she touted her mom’s understanding of just how important technology was to caregiving.
This spring, the podcast Grey Area did a segment that focused on art and dementia. The reporter mentioned CaringKind as a resource, which we hope helped spread the word to New Yorkers facing an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis.
And, once again, the media has been great to CaringKind by including our events such as our free educational meetings in their print and online calendars.
We’ll see you in the news!