By Nyesha Stone
November 1st is the start of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and it’s also the day the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will host their National Alzheimer’s & Caregiver Educational Conference here in the city.
Milwaukee is AFA’s 27th state they’ve visited so far on their tour, according to CEO Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr.
The conference will be held at the Milwaukee Athletic Center, 758 N. Broadway, from 9 a.m. to 1: 30 p.m., and it’s free and open to the public.
According to a press release, the purpose of the conference is to connect people with information about Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, healthy aging and caregiving, and to give the community a place to have their questions answered.
Questions like what’s the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia. According to Fuschillo, dementia itself isn’t a disease, but a term to describe systems. Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, is a disease that’s incurable, and “it’s not a normal part of aging,” said Fuschillo.
Fuschillo said what makes AFA different from other organizations fighting for the same cause is that the AFA “is about the here and now,” he said. AFA provides training for caregivers and multiple services for those dealing with Alzheimer’s and those who know someone dealing with the disease, such as their National Toll-Free Helpline (866-232-8484), which is staffed by licenses social workers—the toll-free number is available seven days a week.
The conference will have free confidential memory screenings that will be conducted throughout the event.
This will be only one of AFA’s many events that they will host throughout the month of November. Fuschillo wants to make it clear that the AFA works every day to bring awareness to the Alzheimer’s disease.
He wants anyone who thinks that they have no one in their corner to think again.
“There’s a place to turn to,” he said. “You don’t need to go down this path alone.”
For more information or to register, please visit: www.alzfdn.org and click on “events calendar” at the top of the page.
