Group can assist women with memory loss
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Women challenged by memory loss can learn about maximizing thinking, memory, language and social skills in a group offered at Purdue University.
The Brainbuilders Women's group, and a second group for their family and caregivers, will meet 10-11:30 a.m. each Wednesday in October, November and early December. Both groups will meet at St. Thomas Aquinas Center, 535 West State St., and will be facilitated by staff and students from Purdue's Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences.
Space is limited, and to reserve a spot or for more information, contact Anne Marie Kubat, speech language pathologist supervisor, at 765-494-3809, amkubat@purdue.edu.
The Brainbuilders group is open to people who are living at home or with family and who struggle with thinking, memory and communication issues. These diagnosed challenges may be the result of Alzheimer's disease, frontal temporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, adult onset hydrocephalus, primary progressive aphasia, vascular dementia or other medical conditions.
Graduate students will assist group members with constructing photo-memory books, which are used to stimulate long-term memory and narrative language skills. Students also will lead brain exercises designed to give thinking skills a workout and engage the women in art activities to foster creativity and a sense of accomplishment.
At the same time, a family member, who the Brainbuilder member lives with or who cares for a Brainbuilder member for at least six hours a day, can participate in the Circle of Support. This group will focus on developing better caregiving skills, learn stress reduction techniques and provide peer support. Suzan Windnagel from Circle of Friends will facilitate this group.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu