The Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation (LIAF) has been serving the town of Port Washington and its surrounding neighborhoods through donations, support programs and community outreach programs for more than 25 years. In an effort to expand its reach, the LIAF recently created a new Memory Fitness Center program headquartered in Amber Court, an assisted living facility at 3400 Brush Hollow Rd. in Westbury.
“As the word got out, we started getting new families that didn’t even know we existed and they’re thankful for the service,” said Lindsay Knudsen, director of late stage programming and a social worker for LIAF. “We’re hoping to eventually have our own building in Westbury to serve more people, but we’ve been so thankful for Amber Court.”
The program at Amber Court first began in January as a 10-week trial that met just once a week on Tuesdays. Due to the growing volume of interest and enrollment, a second meeting was added on Thursdays, and has since extended far beyond the initial 10 weeks. The now biweekly program usually gains approximately 10-13 participants per week, each possessing varying degrees of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Staff members work to encourage participation in activities such as word games, sing-alongs, arts and crafts projects and movie sessions.
“Our day to day activities vary. We work with word games and word association or we’ll throw a ball around for dexterity and hand-eye coordination,” said Knudsen. “Then we break up into lunch, and depending on how everyone’s feeling after, we can move into a video or art therapy where we color mandalas and listen to classical music.”
LIAF recognizes the growing need for day programs that cater to those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and their families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Every 66 seconds, someone in the country is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and one in nine adults over the age of 65 will be diagnosed.
The program is staffed and led by both LIAF social workers and interns. Monika Mikolajczak and Omar Hameed, Adelphi University pre-medical students, are current summer interns who are interesting in pursuing a career in the field of neurology.
“Seniors are kind of overlooked generally in society, but we can sit down and learn so much from them,” said Hameed. “The biggest reward is the gratitude you get from them.”
Both Hameed and Mikolajczak have found their experience thus far to be both enjoyable and informative.
“It’s interesting to work with a whole new set of people,” said Mikolajczak. “They’re all very different. You have to cater to each one of them individually.”
The staff members agree that this program is highly beneficial, as participants are provided an opportunity to socialize and stimulate their minds rather than being alone and isolated in the home. They encourage families who are interested to sign up to attend an upcoming meeting.
The program meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and welcomes anyone affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. For more information, visit www.liaf.org or call 516-767-6856.
