We are now comfortably settled in our larger
headquarters and so pleased by what our new
space has enabled us to accomplish. For
example, my office is across the hall from our
brand new state-of-the-art Training Center
that serves many functions. It is where we
hold our 10-hour and 45-hour home care
dementia trainings for home care workers.
These programs offer home health aides and
home attendants much-needed specialized
training in dementia care that facilitates the
relationship between aide and client and helps
ensure quality of care, job satisfaction, and
retention. Since our move in November we
have held 17 trainings in the new center and
celebrated four graduations for our comprehensive
six week, 45-hour training program.
Because we now have the capacity, the
Chapter was able to host “Keeping Faith in
Mind,” our third annual Interfaith Workshop
for Chaplains. More than 60 members of the
clergy attended this full day program in
March. The event, co-sponsored by The
HealthCare Chaplaincy, is designed to help
clergy better understand Alzheimer’s disease
and its affect upon the person with the disease,
family members, and caregivers, and to provide
chaplains with information and tools to assist
in their ministry.
In the evenings the Chapter’s many common
spaces are filled to capacity with support
group meetings, educational classes, meetings
for special events and volunteer activities.
Fifty or more people often can be found at
one of our education seminars, with topics
such as “Understanding Dementia: What You
Need to Know and Where to Go.” Our new
headquarters includes a Care Consultation
Suite where Chapter staff counsel clients,
and a quiet Support Group Room. Our most
versatile rooms are the Training Center and
Board Room/Conference Center, each of
which can be divided into two rooms with
full service technical resources. The Chapter’s
office also includes a multi-purpose room where smaller groups meet, including our new
MemoryWorks program for people with Mild
Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early stage
memory loss.
On many weekends, the Training Center is
used for our Family Caregiver Workshop,
“Meeting the Challenges of Alzheimer’s
Caregiving,” where participants receive
invaluable information that can improve their
lives and the lives of those in their care.
Today, I met with a new donor and
described the multitude of programs we carry
out both at the Chapter office and throughout
the five boroughs, and spoke about all of the
agencies, medical and academic institutions,
and community organizations with which we
partner.The donor commented that she was
very surprised and impressed that the scope of
our work and impact could be so great with a
relatively small staff. The expertise of the staff
makes that reach and impact possible, and it is
only enhanced by our new headquarters.
Our new space gives us a remarkable opportunity
to serve so many more people who
need the Chapter’s help and can benefit
from our staff ’s dementia expertise. On the
opposite page you will note that we are offering
naming opportunities so that donors will
be able to honor and pay tribute to their loved
ones. You will read more about this program
in upcoming issues as well as learn more about
some of the special donors who are already
supporting this program.
We thank all of you who support the New
York City Chapter by volunteering, making a
charitable donation, and helping to build
public awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. It is
with your ongoing support that we are able to
do what we do—and do it so well.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge the
generosity of our good friend, Forest Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., who in addition to underwriting
programs and events this year is also sponsoring
this issue of our newsletter.
— Carol Berne
Vice President for Development
Director of Leadership Giving
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