ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION OPENS OFFICE IN CAPE

The Alzheimer's Association of St. Louis has opened an office in Cape Girardeau to serve families touched by Alzheimer's disease in Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard and Butler counties.

The office is housed with the Southeast Area Agency on Aging, 1219 N. Kingshighway, Suite 100 and is staffed full-time by social worker Cheryl L. Klueppel.

The Alzheimer's Association has been operating in Missouri almost 15 years to heighten awareness about Alzheimer's disease and link families with services, said Kathleen O'Brien, president of the Alzheimer's Association in St. Louis.

Cape Girardeau has been an important area to the association, which has held programs here and holds a memory walk each year to build awareness, she said. Because of continued community support, the association has opened an office in Cape Girardeau.

"Hiring Cheryl is a major growth factor and will give us more presence in the community," O'Brien said. "She'll work to develop partnerships with the Area Agency on Aging there and the health care community. She'll also work with Alzheimer's families to give them the help they may need."

Klueppel has a master's degree in social work and has previously worked in home health and in the nursing home industry. It was while working at a nursing home about five years ago that she began volunteering with the Alzheimer's Association. She started a support group for family members of Alzheimer's patients.

"I saw the association's commitment to educate family members and care givers, its commitment to providing education and services" Klueppel said.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. There are an estimated 100,000 Alzheimer's patients in Missouri, 4 million in the United States.

In the past year in Cape Girardeau, the association served 300 people who attended 10 professional and family education programs, and 14 families received respite assistance. Family members of people with Alzheimer's disease made 275 visits to four local support groups.

Upcoming programs being organized by the new office in Cape Girardeau:

-- A volunteer orientation and volunteer recognition luncheon Oct. 19.

-- Gatekeeper training to help volunteers and professionals who provide services to the elderly better recognize clients with Alzheimer's symptoms Nov. 2.

-- An Alzheimer's research update in Popular Bluff Nov. 13.

Klueppel said there is a good core of volunteers in the Cape Girardeau area, but more are needed to help with local programs and in the office, to serve on an advisory group that helps identify programs and services needed, to work with support groups and to help staff the help line.

The help line, reached at 332-8170 or (888) 833-1641, is one of the association's core services, Klueppel said.

"Anyone can call and talk with a volunteer or staff member to get information about Alzheimer's, learn about research, educational programs, services or community resources and get emotional support," she said.

The first symptom of Alzheimer's is usually memory loss that becomes significant, O'Brien said.

"It might be someone who goes to the grocery store and can't find her way home or who doesn't recognize the neighbor he has lived next to for 20 years," O'Brien said.

Another major symptom is doing inappropriate things. Like putting salt instead of sugar on cereal, O'Brien said.

Increasingly, people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the early stages of the disease, which means at younger ages, O'Brien said.