LIHUE — June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, and the Developmentally Disabled Council of Hawaii partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to host Pili Me Ke Aloha: Kauai Disability and Kupuna Resource Fair on Saturday at the Kukui Grove Center.
“I just got told,” Council Chair Mel Rapozo said. “I’m representing Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and presenting the proclamation that announces June as Brain Health Awareness Month.”
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia continue to affect millions of families across the nation, including a number in the County of Kauai, according to the proclamation. The number of representative agencies and groups beckoned attention with the offer of swag, bling and other types of information.
The Alzheimer’s Association, getting the help of Department of Health volunteers, offered a room geared to raise people’s awareness of brain health.
Brain health, according to the proclamation, is a vital component of overall well-being, impacting memory, decision-making, emotional regulation, and quality of life across a person’s lifespan.
The county’s Agency on Elderly Affairs, including several of its divisions like the Kauai RSVP and senior health, had answers to many questions posed by browsing shoppers. The Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program had answers about Medicare and Social Security.
Other groups were concerned about the well-being of caregivers that provide the blanket of assurance to those affected by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
During Brain Awareness Month, the proclamation urges residents to join in supporting brain health education, early detection of cognitive issues, and inclusive care for kupuna and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
These are practices that can be carried beyond June because Tuesday is already July 1.
Cindy Fowler of the Alzheimer’s Association said this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Oct. 18 at the Puakea Golf Course.
Source: The Garden Island
Be First to Comment