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Contact: Tom Hagerty
(863)
667-7077
Dr. Aryn Bush
LAKELAND,
FL (March 7, 2008) - Polk County’s only early-dementia intervention program is a tribute to the difference one person can make -- and an example of the potential of many people with a shared passion making a bigger difference. It started with Dr. Aryn Bush, and then it grew.
“Through various stories, I have heard firsthand from individuals who have just received a dementia diagnosis,” says Bush, a faculty member and cognitive aging psychologist with the University of South Florida’s School of Aging Studies and the USF Lakeland Rath Senior ConNEXTions and Education Center in Bartow. “So I felt compelled to organize and begin an early-stage dementia support/education group. This is something in which I truly believe.”
Bush had struggled, however, to garner participation in the early intervention group due to the lack of awareness of early detection and diagnosis, coupled with a lack of knowledge of the resources that exist for people in that situation.
Then Stefanie Thompson, a program specialist with the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, approached Bush with the idea for a new support program.
“The intent was to develop a structured program that would gain visibility and attention, thereby encouraging participation in the ongoing early intervention group,” says Bush.
The result is Beginning Alzheimer's Education and Support (BASE). It provides education, support resources, and skill-building tools to individuals who are directly or indirectly affected by early stage Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“The primary goal of the new BASE program is to provide a seamless transition from the point at which someone receives a dementia diagnosis to point at which they are connected to education, support, and necessary resources,” says Bush.
“Stefanie contacted me to review and edit the rough draft of the BASE manual and critique the initial program ideas that she had developed. Then we worked together to refine the modules, verify venues, and enroll attendees.”
By working together, Bush believes, the two have achieved more than they could have accomplished separately.
“Given that our hearts are both committed to bettering the lives of individuals who are affected by mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Stefanie and I formed a close relationship and have collaborated on various projects.”
As chairperson for the Mild Cognitive Impairment /Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Advisory Council of Polk County, Bush clearly sees the need for education, support, and resource programs.
“The key is to provide an effective intervention at the earliest possible juncture in the disease process,” she says. “Early intervention is imperative to ensure the healthiest journey for patients and caregivers alike.”
BASE uses a multi-dimensional approach in which patients and caregivers have the opportunity to not only learn about the disease itself, but also to develop support networks and resources that will be essential as the disease progresses.
Presently, Bush explains, there’s a significant imbalance in the resources available to individuals who have just received a diagnosis versus the amount of resources available for those in the later stages of the disease. And that information is largely geared toward caregivers, she notes, not the person with the diagnosis.
In explaining why she helped develop and organize BASE, Bush lists several key factors.
“First, there is such limited awareness of what is available to individuals after they have received a diagnosis. Second, they are unaware of what is available because there truly is a paucity of information and resources for individuals early in the disease process. Third, individuals report feeling stripped of their sense of autonomy, self-esteem, and self-confidence after receiving a diagnosis. Fourth, early in the disease process is the time when the person with the disease can still make plans and decisions. This is the time to work together with a care partner to develop a course of action and a plan. Fifth, living with the disease is easier for everyone involved when a support network is established early in the process. Sixth, individuals who have received a diagnosis need to be empowered and believe that ‘this is a disease; it is not my identity.’”
Bush and Thompson will facilitate the nine-week education and support program, which delves into such topics as the disease process, day-to-day living, positive communication, stress management, emotional health, medications and research, legal issues, and long-term planning
“One of the modules that I will personally be discussing is pharmacological treatments and recent research advances in Alzheimer’s disease,” says Bush.
Various experts -- such as elder law attorneys, licensed clinical social workers, doctors/nurses, financial planners, licensed mental health counselors, and clinical psychologists -- will address such topics as legal planning, living day-to-day, emotional well-being, planning for the future, effective communication, stress reduction and relaxation training.
The first BASE program will begin March 24, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., at the USF Lakeland Rath Center in Bartow, and will meet every Monday through May 19. After the initial nine weeks, an early-stage support group will continue the support system. For more information contact Stefanie Thompson at 863-688-4834 or thompsons@alzfluglf.org or Aryn Bush at 863-533-5925 or albush@lakeland.usf.edu.
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