Retirement Community Partners with Local Alzheimer’s Association® Chapter to Raise Awareness, Funds
OKLAHOMA CITY – In an effort to encourage awareness and action around a health issue directly affecting more than 5 million Americans, Concordia Life Care Community is joining forces with the Alzheimer’s Association Oklahoma Chapter this month for a series of events and activities. Concordia will bring in Alzheimer’s Association Education Coordinator Carla Scull to deliver a series of lectures offering practical information about the disease. Alongside the lecture series, Concordia will sponsor and participate in the association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s® in Oklahoma City, and hold its own Concordia-wide fundraising challenge for the association.
“As it is so common, particularly among older adults, Alzheimer’s is unfortunately an illness with which we have firsthand experience,” said Danny Eischen, Executive Director at Concordia. “The work the Alzheimer’s Association is doing to fund important research and educate the public is so important, and we are glad to be working with them to help spread their information and garner financial support.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, someone develops Alzheimer’s every 66 seconds, and one in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease.
“Partnerships with a retirement community like Concordia are so important to achieving our mission of improving and funding the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” Scull said. “Working together, we can drive public understanding and support for loved ones and community members with Alzheimer’s disease.”
The three-week “Coping with Alzheimer’s” lecture series will begin Sept. 14. Each Wednesday, a lecture will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Concordia Life Plan Community, 7707 W Britton Rd, Oklahoma City, OK 73132. Scull will cover topics including “The Basics” on Sept. 14, “Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related Behavior” on Sept. 21 and “Legal and Financial Planning” on Sept. 28.
“We have designed this series to cover the practical information families and caregivers need about Alzheimer’s disease, including detection, risk factors, stages of the disease and treatment options,” Scull said. “We’ll also provide information about decoding dementia-related behaviors, identifying common triggers and applying intervention strategies.”
Concordia will sponsor and participate in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Oklahoma City on Sept. 24. The event is one of more than 600 walks held annually across the country in order to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
Concordia residents who are unable to walk in the Oklahoma City Walk to End Alzheimer’s can still participate through an alternative Concordia-wide fundraising challenge, the NuStep challenge: a 24-hour ride-a-thon event at Concordia where staff and residents commit to ride a NuStep bike, a recumbent bicycle built for all ages, health conditions and skill levels, in exchange for dollar donations. The challenge will take place in the Concordia lobby, beginning 9 a.m. Sept. 22 and lasting 24 hours. For every minute on the NuStep bike, a dollar is donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. Residents, staff and community members are encouraged to come take a spin on the NuStep bike in exchange for a monetary donation. Those who wish to simply donate and not ride on the NuStep bike can do so as well.
“We created the The NuStep Challenge last year to make sure every resident and staff member has a way to contribute to the cause,” Concordia Lifestyles Coordinator Megan Carter said. “We also have a ton of fun. It’s a great opportunity to spend time together. We’ll decorate the lobby purple and serve pancakes at midnight!”
For more information about the NuStep Challenge, contact Megan Carter, mwarn@concordiaseniorliving.com.
For more information about the lecture series and details for how to sign up, visit the events page or contact Julie Davis, jdavis@concordiaseniorliving.com or 405-720-7200.
For media inquiries, contact Mary Ellen Kilpatrick, maryellen@goodengroup.com or 405-715-3232.
About Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s®. Visit www.alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
About Concordia Life Care Community
Set on about 15 acres in Oklahoma City, Concordia is a Life Care community where one can enjoy an independent living lifestyle, and be guaranteed access to assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing or long-term care should the need ever arise. Here, residents embrace life, stay fit, enjoy chef-prepared cuisine, grow intellectually and engage in meaningful activities. Concordia is a nonprofit organization committed to upholding Christian values by serving the community through programs including free Wellness on Wheels clinics, its DME/furniture donation program and mobile meals and more.
