While some extra safety precautions are necessary to enjoy the summer weather, don’t let that stop you from getting your loved one outside to enjoy the season. Below are some tips to help keep a loved one with Alzheimer’s safe this summer. • Limit sun exposure. Place lawn chairs in shaded areas. Stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Encourage your loved one to wear a hat and sunglasses. • Apply sunscreen regularly. An individual with Alzheimer’s may not remember to put on sunscreen, so be sure to remind your loved to apply and reapply sunscreen when outside for long periods of time.  • Stay hydrated. During the summer it is especially important to drink lots of fluids. Keep a cool glass of water within arm’s reach as a reminder. Add a flavor to the water to make is more interesting and tasty. Provide non-alcoholic beer or lemonade for backyard BBQs.  • Dress appropriately. Decision making may be increasingly difficult so dressing for hot days can be hard. Put away winter clothes, boots, gloves and hats, and replace them with just one or two choices of shirts, pants or shorts/skirts, a hat with a large brim and a light jacket or sweater. • Avoid loud noises and crowds. Both loud noises and crowds can be overwhelming for someone with dementia. Consider watching fireworks from your home or in the quiet of the car and parades on television; picnic on a weekday or early in the day on a weekend when crowds are lighter. • Be watchful around fire and water. It’s best to have any home pools protected by a fence but keep a watchful eye on any seniors who may wander to prevent an accident. Do not allow an individual with Alzheimer’s disease to swim unsupervised. Also, never allow unsupervised access to fire pits, and the hot surfaces of BBQ grills or campfires. • Plan Ahead. Consider simplifying travel plans or traveling to a familiar destination. Most airlines offer companion programs for those traveling with special needs. That way you can be assured a loved one has arrived safely or made a connection without any problems. Alert the Medic Alert + Safe Return registration phone line of your travel plans and provide them with contact information for your destination. Alzheimer’s Association’s Tips to Prevent Wandering: Carry out daily activities: Having a routine can provide structure. Consider creating a daily plan. Avoid busy places: Shopping malls and grocery stores can be confusing causing disorientation. Night wandering: Restrict fluids two hours before bedtime and ensure the person has gone to the bathroom just before bed. Also, use night lights throughout the home or facility. Locks: Place out of sight. Install slide bolts at the top or bottom of doors. Doors and door knobs: Camouflage doors by painting them the same colors as the walls. Cover them with removable curtains or screens. Cover knobs with cloth in the color of the door or use childproof knobs. Monitoring devices: Try devices that signal when a door or window is opened. Place a pressure-sensitive mat at the door or bedside to alert of movement. Secure trigger items: Some people will not go out without a coat, hat, pocketbook, keys, wallet, etc. Making these items unavailable can prevent wandering. Safe Summer Activities for Loved Ones with Alzheimer’s or Dementia Attend a baseball game or another sporting event Attend an outdoor concert Go for a bike ride Plan a family reunion Go for a walk Plant flowers Have a picnic Travel Go to the beach Have a yard sale Visit a local farmer’s market Go to a an outdoor movie Create art outside Build a lemonade stand Make a bird feeder

Celebrations like the Fourth of July bring family and friends together for backyard BBQs, pool parties and firework displays. For the person caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, the holiday can also bring additional safety challenges. By taking a few minutes to review the following safety tips, families can safely enjoy Fourth of July festivities. Limit your loved one’s exposure to the sun. Place lawn chairs in shaded areas and stay indoors between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest. Encourage your loved one to wear a hat and sunglasses. Remind your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease to apply and reapply sunscreen when outside for long periods of time. During the summer, it is especially important to drink lots of fluids. Keep a cool glass of water within arm’s reach as a reminder. Add a flavor to the water to make is more interesting and tasty. Provide non-alcoholic beer or lemonade for backyard BBQs. Loud noises and crowds can increase anxiety. Consider watching fireworks from your home or in the quiet of the car and parades on television. Never allow unsupervised access to fire pits, and the hot surfaces of BBQ grills or campfires. Do not allow an individual with Alzheimer’s disease to swim unsupervised, and do not leave children in the pool under the supervision of the person with Alzheimer’s disease, even for a short period of time. Family and friend reunions can be overwhelming to the person with Alzheimer’s disease and may rely greatly on their ability to recall names and faces. Consider limiting the amount of visitors and prepare both the guests and the person with Alzheimer’s disease in advance for the visit. Try using fun name tags and get everyone involved to reduce embarrassment for the person struggling with names. Have a back-up plan that will allow for a quiet place to rest if things become overwhelming or confusing. While our Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter offices are closed for the Fourth of July holiday, you can always reach us for support at our 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.390.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is not just about ONE story – it’s thousands of stories. Read Lindsay Dolce’s ALZ Stars marathon runner spotlight below! Where are you from? Minneapolis, Minnesota Is this your first marathon? I ran my first marathon in Chicago in 2011. This will be my 4th full marathon! What do you do when you’re not training for a marathon? I work for a nonprofit that places AmeriCorps members in classrooms to support literacy and math instruction for kids who are struggling to become proficient. Why are you running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Association ALZ Stars team? My Dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2015 and it has impacted my entire family. He is the proverbial strong Dad and all of us have had to wrestle with our sadness, anger and other emotions related to this nondiscriminatory condition. Since then I have met so many people who have this shared experience and the opportunity to use my love of running to fuel fundraising for research that helps end Alzheimers and dementia-related diseases just makes sense. Is there a “go to” song that gets you moving? Fireball by Pitbull is such a fun song! Do you have any training tips you can share? My training tip would be to put in the miles before the race. It starts to get old running so many miles but on race day all those miles pay huge dividends! What’s your pre-race meal or snack? I am a toast with natural peanut butter gal! For information on how you can get involved with ALZ Stars or to make a donation to the team, click here!

By: Mike Guglielmo My wife’s journey started quietly and without warning. Her journey was going to take us down many different twists and turns filled with many different emotions. She was a remarkable wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She was an avid reader, loved to visit with family and friends, and she loved to cook and play with her grandkids. If I had a question or didn’t know how to spell a word, I would call her to make sure I had it right. She was my Google before there was Google. If someone needed help she would be the first one to volunteer and the last one to leave. She always worried about everyone else, and what they needed. She wanted to make a difference. She started to have brain fog, as she called it, which she attributed to something in her diet. At work, she would be helping a customer and she would forget what she was doing for a minute, and then she would remember it again She was a Reiki Master-Teacher and she started to have trouble putting her study books together. She would always get it done, but it took her a lot of extra time. She had trouble with balancing her checkbook. For a number of years, she dealt with these changes silently…not sharing her struggles with anyone. As things became more difficult, she went to doctors, therapists, physiatrists, and nutritionists leaving no stone unturned. However, she continued to have issues, and they couldn’t figure out what the cause was. Then in November 2011 on the way to work, she was having difficulty following the road and drove into on-coming traffic. Luckily, she did not get into an accident. When she got to work, her boss called a doctor and they advised her to go to the nearest emergency room. Her boss called me and I met them both at the hospital. They thought that maybe she had a stroke. They did a CT scan and everything was negative. She was sent home and they advised her to see her primary care doctor, a psychiatrist and a neurologist. She never drove again. We continued to meet with doctors and they would tell her that she was depressed. She would argue that she definitely was not depressed. We finally went to visit the Rush Memory Clinic. After reviewing her medical history, more testing, and CT scans – we had a consultation with a doctor. That is when we learned that my wife had posterior cortical atrophy, a rare variant of Alzheimer’s disease that is typically early onset. My wife said, “Thank You! Finally, somebody told me what I have.” I sat next to her devastated by the news. She was happy to know what was wrong. She was going to be positive and handle it like everything else she did: with a positive attitude. She had faith in God and she knew that everything would be in his hands. She would pray to God every day, accepting whatever was in front of her. She never complained. I was the one complaining… why her, why couldn’t it be me. She always took excellent care of herself, it didn’t make sense. My son Chris, Deb, me and my daughter Alison. At the time, her parents lived with us. They would stay with Deb while I was working, and if they went out they would take her with them. She was with someone all the time, except when she would walk her dog, Angel. I found out from the neighbors that she would sometimes get lost and they would bring her home. She couldn’t do much for herself, so I had decided to quit working in January of 2015. I look back at that time, and I wish I had done it sooner. Being able to help her through her journey was the most rewarding time of my life. I think she really enjoyed having me there all the time. She had issues getting dressed and with general overall hygiene. As time went on, she couldn’t read or write. One of the saddest things she told me was that she wasn’t able to play with her grandkids. Sometimes she would think I was her Dad. She was still eating and sleeping well. When she went to bed, she would sleep for 9 to 10 hours. However, one night she went to bed with her dog as usual and a couple of hours later her dog came downstairs. I knew something was wrong, so I went up and found her at the top of the stairs. She was not sure what to do, I put her back to bed and she went to sleep for the night. That’s was when I realized, we had to move and it worked out that I found a place in the same building as my daughter. Her verbal communication became less and less; she couldn’t speak in complete sentences. Our daughter got married in 2015 and the night before the service we had dinner and everybody told a story about the newlyweds. Deb wanted to say something and I was not sure she could do it; however, to my amazement, she spoke beautifully about both of them. I, on the other hand, could not speak at all and just cried. Early on, I decided Deb would stay home as long as I was able to care for her. We would stay busy with yoga and meditation four days a week. She would get a massage once a week, and sometimes she would say that she didn’t want to go. But I would take her anyway and then she would really enjoy it. If she didn’t, I would take her back home. We would go to the City once a week to have lunch with Alison and Jake and go to Cathy and Mario’s once a week for lunch. She really enjoyed getting out. She loved to listen to music and sing. Even after she couldn’t communicate anymore she could still sing songs, especially with my sister. As her journey continued, crowds and noise would upset her. Usually, if she was upset, I would lay down with her and hold her in my arms and she would normally calm down. She continued to go to the doctors yearly for her physical and periodically to the memory clinic. Her overall health was very good. The last visit to the Memory Clinic she cried because she couldn’t answer any questions. She was on a slow, continuous decline. She had a great personality, funny with a quick wit, and over time this continued to change. However, at times we would be at someone’s house having a conversation and her quick wit would come out to our surprise, making us aware that she still was with us. She had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. However they found nothing had changed, so they sent her home. After the seizure, she started to decline more rapidly; sometimes she couldn’t walk. She was still sleeping well at night and spent most of the day in her chair listening to music. Her spirit never changed. Her quick wit would show up every now and then, and it would make all of us smile. As she continued to decline, I focused on trying to make her comfortable. Finally, we had to stop leaving the house. It’s really hard to say goodbye. She died at home with her family by her side. I will end with one of the last love notes she wrote to me: “So many memories, and so many years ahead of us still!” I know what she wants me to do now is to help others. I will do whatever I can to help find a cure for Alzheimer’s.

By: Abby Walker Patsy Walker. She was a wife, mother, grandmother and so much more. She taught me so much throughout my life. I know her mainly through old home videos now, but I can still hear her laugh and say my name. She was the most curious and spunky lady I knew. She and Grandpa lived in Fort Myers, Florida and it was always a treat to go down and visit them. I remember getting up at five in the morning to do crossword puzzles with her, and then we’d jump in the pool for a morning swim. I would also sit in the basket on the back of her bike and go for rides with her. These are all great memories we made together, but then things began to change. They were small changes at first, like losing her keys or wandering down to her daughter’s house in the middle of the night. Eventually, my Dad (her son) made the conscious decision to place her in an assisted living facility here in Illinois. Assisted living turned out to be the wrong place for her, so we moved Grandma to a nursing home about 25 minutes from our house. She slowly began to forget who I was. She thought my mom was her daughter. Worst of all, she couldn’t remember who my dad was – the man who had done so much for her. I was only 10 or 11 at the time, and I didn’t really know much about Alzheimer’s disease. We visited her all the time, especially during the holidays. The nursing home would host special family events on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving. The staff there were truly amazing. Around the age of seventeen, I began to develop a major interest in Alzheimer’s disease. At this point, my Grandpa (my mom’s dad) also had dementia.  Two people I loved dearly were living with this disease. I attended my first Walk to End Alzheimer’s in September of 2017 and one month later, the Monday before Thanksgiving, my Grandpa passed away. It was only five months and three weeks later, and I still remember where I was. It was Mother’s Day 2018 and I was sitting in my room. I remember hearing my Mom ask my Dad who was on the phone, and he replied with “the nursing home.” And at that moment, we all knew she was gone. From that day forward, I wanted to devote my time and energy to the Alzheimer’s Association as a volunteer. I even presented a speech about the Alzheimer’s Association at a National Pageant this past June and won. Grandma, thank you. Thank you for helping me to become the person I am today. Thank you for always trying new hairstyles on me and for painting my nails. Thank you for taking me bike riding and for showing me the joys of cloud watching. Thank you for catching me when I fell. Thank you for letting me do everything with you. Thank you for cuddling me on those cold Florida nights. Thank you for giving me my Dad. Thank you for your Bible. And most of all, thank you for holding my hand until the very end. See you on the other side of the rainbow. I love you. {In Rememberance of Patsy Walker. July 20, 1933 – May 13, 2018}

Join us for the 2019 Illinois Advocacy Day in Springfield! As an Alzheimer’s advocate, you will have the opportunity to speak with legislators and draw critical attention to the advancement of Alzheimer’s public policies. At the beginning of the day, our advocates will receive training on the Association’s policy priorities for 2019, as well as messages to carry to legislators throughout the afternoon. The Alzheimer’s Association will also provide appropriate strategies for a successful visit. This event provides an opportunity for participants to engage with legislators. Advocates will visit several members of both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives, sharing personal stories and asking lawmakers for their support of critical legislation designed to make Illinois a dementia-capable state. In just one day, advocates have a chance to change the lives of nearly one million Illinois residents impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. Alongside key policy-makers who share a common vision for this cause, each individual has the capacity to make an incredible impact on how lawmakers address Alzheimer’s disease and respond to this ever-growing epidemic. Transportation to the Capitol will be arranged from a variety of locations, with both lunch and snacks provided. To register for the 2019 Illinois Advocacy Day on Wednesday, May 1, please click here .

My name is Jan Tyda. I am 61 years old and have lived in Chicago all my life. I currently work in Banking Anti-Money Laundering Compliance and have done this for nearly 40 years. I have one son named Jeff, I love gardening and making silk floral arrangements. I try to see the positive in all of life’s experiences – good or bad. Most importantly, I am passionate about finding a cure for Alzheimer’s! My late husband, Bruce, was diagnosed with Younger Onset Alzheimer’s at 57 years old.  He fought a very brave battle for 6 ½ years, and sadly lost his fight at 63 years old on Sept 6, 2018. When Bruce was first diagnosed, I found the Alzheimer’s Association website where I educated myself about the disease.  I would read something about the disease, cry and then sign off. I would sign on again, read something else, cry and sign out.  I did this many times, but always learned something each time to help me begin my plan for our journey. I have volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association for the past seven years – this year will be our 8th Walk to End Alzheimer’s. We have planned some very successful walks and I have met some really terrific people!  Our very first walk was held in Highland Park at Sunset Park. I was asked by the North Shore Walk Committee Chair to speak at the walk since our team raised about $3,500 in two weeks! It was so important to get my story out about Bruce that first year. I spoke about the Alzheimer’s Association website and how it got me on track for a plan. The information and knowledge I received from the Association helped me to begin to see a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. I wanted to learn everything I could about the disease.  I also love to share information on what worked with us during our journey. I have learned always to have a plan A, then B, then C and D and if those do not work, to just keep trying. I find that we are all in this together and it takes a village to get through this. Although my Bruce is no longer here – I want to be an Advocate and continue the work towards a World Without Alzheimer’s! (That white flower!) This has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to experience, but the Alzheimer’s Association has helped me find the resources I need. And for that, I am forever grateful.  By volunteering, we can work together towards our goal of a World Without Alzheimer’s. We are going to find that cure!

The Alzheimer’s Association counts on over 35,000 volunteers nationwide to help fulfill our mission. During National Volunteer Week, the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter would like to extend our gratitude to our volunteers for all they do in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. In this article, we feature Illinois Chapter volunteer, Jacqueline Levernier. Tell us a little about yourself! “Generosity, love and compassion for others is how I live my life. I am passionate about finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. I live in Libertyville with my loving husband and 3 four-legged ‘kids’. My daughter Becca has left the nest and is a lovely independent professional. I love to cook, and I frequently share my meals for those going through challenges in their life. I can’t fix their problems but I can offer a meal made with love and compassion.” What is your personal connection with Alzheimer’s disease? “My grandfather had Alzheimer’s. I was very young and I remember finding it very odd that he could not remember me or his own daughter. I now work at Sunrise Senior Living and every day I see many people living with this disease. I also moved my mother into Sunrise last April ” What led to your involvement with the Alzheimer’s Association? “I offered to lead the Sunrise Buffalo Grove team for 2018 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. We succeeded in being the Highest contributor of all Sunrise Communities in the United States.” What kind of volunteer work do you do for the Association? “I am on the 2019 Lake County and Northwest Suburban Walk Committee. I have been actively volunteering with the association since last year.” Why is volunteering with the Association important to you? “Beacause there is no cure for this disease that takes the lives of so many each year. I will do whatever I can to help raise funds to help find a cure.” Why do you think others should volunteer? “The deaths from Alzheimer’s continue to rise each year. We need the support of passionate and dedicated volunteers so that a cure can be found.”

The Alzheimer’s Association counts on over 35,000 volunteers nationwide to help fulfill our mission. During National Volunteer Week, the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter would like to extend our gratitude to our volunteers for all they do in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. In this article, we feature Illinois Chapter volunteer, Rose Levitt. My name is Rose Levitt. I grew up in a small town in Nebraska, and received a degree in business from the University of Nebraska. My husband, Chuck, who passed away two years ago at the age of 68 from young-onset Alzheimer’s, was my hometown sweetheart. After college, we opened a Little Professor Bookstore in Omaha, Nebraska. Chuck was a lover of books and would speed read several at night so he could help customers choose the right book to purchase. Together, we started the Midwest Mystery Convention and eventually hosted the World Mystery Convention. One of the saddest days in this Alzheimer’s journey was when he no longer had an interest in reading. Chuck was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010. We lived in Asheville, NC at the time where I was working as a real estate agent. That diagnosis was a shock. Alzheimer’s was suppose to be an older person’s disease. What did this diagnosis mean for a younger person? We thought we had quite a few years ahead to travel and enjoy life, so we retired to Bluffton-Hilton Head, South Carolina. On Hilton Head, there was a wonderful organization that specializes in helping people with Alzheimer’s stay active and provide a break for caregivers. They had support groups and educational seminars to learn about Alzheimer’s. Through these classes and engaging with other caregivers I began to see how little people (including myself) knew about the disease and how to care for someone with Alzheimer’s. My lack of knowledge led me to the Alzheimer’s Associaton website for South Carolina. That was how I learned about a Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Bluffton. I contacted the walk coordinator to volunteer and soon became the walk retention chair. After three years, I could see Chuck deteriorating rapidly. I wanted to be near my family to help me through this period, and I wanted our only two grandchildren to get to know their grandfather better. So we moved to the Chicago area to be near our oldest daughter and family; a decision I am so happy we made. Our granddaughters were only two and five at the time, but they still talk about their grandfather and how they enjoyed visiting him at the memory care facility. Once we were settled I knew I wanted to become involved with a Walk to End Alzheimer’s again. This year, I am starting my fourth year as Retention Chair for the Lake County Walk. I volunteer to not only raise money for research, but I also feel there is a real need to provide caregivers with information. Alzheimer’s affects everyone. People diagnosed with the disease cannot be the spokesperson for finding a cure. They need their family, friends and neighbors to speak for them. Volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association is a great way to find out how you can reach out to someone to make their life easier. Remind people that Alzheimer’s can strike even at a younger age and encourage people to recognize the signs. Knowledge is valuable. Maybe one day – there will be a cure.

The Alzheimer’s Association counts on over 35,000 volunteers nationwide to help fulfill our mission. During National Volunteer Week, the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter would like to extend our gratitude to our volunteers for all they do in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease. In this article, we feature Illinois Chapter volunteer, Dan Cohen. My name is Dan Cohen, and I was born and raised in Moorestown, New Jersey, a short ride from Philadelphia. I attended Syracuse University for four years prior to taking my current job as sports anchor/reporter at WREX-TV, Rockford’s NBC affiliate in Northern Illinois. My parents still live on the East Coast, and my brother and sister are based out East as well. Prior to going into TV, I was an avid performing arts department participant in high school, and took six years of voice lessons. I still sing from time to time, but my spare time away from work is mostly spent staying active – CrossFit, hiking, golf. I’m also an avid reader, podcast listener, TV viewer – basically anything that tells a good story. My personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease stems from my maternal grandfather being diagnosed in the mid-2000s. It was a long, difficult battle, unfolding during my high school and early college years prior to his death in 2010. He was my first grandparent to pass away, and it was really hard on all of us, especially my grandmother, who was his primary caregiver. She lived more than eight years after him prior to her passing in February 2019. I have taken the pain of my experience and channeled it into the work I do for the Association. I want to make sure other families’ experiences are a little easier and they have the resources they need to care for their loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s. I have been an Alzheimer’s volunteer since 2016. I have served as a community representative for the Illinois Chapter, an emcee for three Walks to End Alzheimer’s events, a participant and fundraiser for those walks and have recently taken on a new role as Community Educator. My decision to volunteer for this great organization is pretty straightforward – to help my community navigate the turbulence of this disease. It is costly from an emotional and financial standpoint, and anything we can do to make the experience a little easier and provide necessary resources to those affected by it makes it worthwhile to put in the time to volunteer. We can all do a little bit to make the world a better place. Because Alzheimer’s disease has such a wide reach and affects so many people, anything you can do to help makes the worlds of those dealing with it a better place. A high tide lifts all boats – you can help lift the tide by volunteering for us.

I am an employment attorney. I have been practicing employment law for 25 years, and am a partner and head of employment law in Chicago for Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, which is the 9th largest law firm in the country. I joined IWCA because my mom has Alzheimer’s. My mom, Mary, was always an adventurous and vibrant woman. She was a nurse, the office manager for my dad’s medical practice, President of the Medical Auxiliary for the State of Wisconsin, and she started a very successful party consulting and coordination business when she was 55 years old. My dad was the love of her life until he died just shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. She was a doting mother of four and grandmother of seven. Nothing made her happier than being a mom; unless is was being a grandmother. She was an amazing mom. She is now 91 years old, and although she holds my hand, she doesn’t know who I am. It is heartbreaking to have witnessed this incredible woman slowly lose herself to Alzheimer’s. It is a cruel disease, and I believe awareness, research and support of family and friends are crucial. The power of this organization is immense and I believe it can truly make a difference. By: Mary Smigielski

By: Candice McCloud A few years after I graduated from college and early into my professional career, I came upon an opportunity to create a scholarship at my Alma Mater: Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I knew I wanted to give back to future students who were in my position – i.e. minority students in the College of Business. What I didn’t know was what I wanted to name said scholarship; I just knew it had to truly mean something. Naturally, I sought advice from the chairman of my personal board of advisors: my mother. My mother shared with me was that she always wanted to honor the memory of her mother- an educator for over 30 years – by giving to a foundation in her name. The Gloria Dean Battles Scholarship has, for the past 9 +, years granted students at SIU with funding for relief from expenses (such as books, rent, supplies, and classes) which allows them to focus more on their education. This scholarship has meant so much to my family, and ties so closely to my memories of my late grandmother. In my earliest memories, I would come home from school in my grandmother’s house in Rochester, throw my bags down and then enter Mrs. Battles’ classroom. My grandmother would sit us down and begin teaching us lessons. I loved this pretend time with my Grandmother. We would raise our hands, ask questions and often run up to her “desk” to use the stapler or rotary pencil sharpener. These same early memories of my grandmother were made during the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. What was a fun, after-school game to me was my grandmother’s involuntary reenactment of her time in the classroom. At that time, I did not know the difference. It was hard for me to understand at eight years old what was happening to my grandmother, my mother and my entire family. Over the next several years, the “game” ended, and the reality of my grandmother’s condition slowly revealed itself to me. I had to watch my mother – who was at the age I am now – witness her mother slowly and then altogether suddenly… forget. When my grandmother passed away, I remember the feeling of being betrayed by Alzheimer’s. I was saddened and ashamed that my only real memories of her were of her with the disease. I wished so hard that I could remember her from the stories that my mother shared with me. Stories about pumpkin carving in her kitchen, sending cards and phone calls on birthdays. For me, my grandmother always had Alzheimer’s. It took some time, but I began remembering that I did, in fact, have precious memories with my grandmother. She just so happened to have Alzheimer’s. I have memories of dancing with her in my room, with music only she heard playing in her head. Memories of seeing her laugh in the moment and of her humming to the music in church. And of course, I have the memory of playing a student in her “classroom” after school. Those are the ones I remember and will never forget. Gloria Dean Battlers was a mother, a matriarch, an educator, and my grandmother; and she just so happened to have Alzheimer’s.