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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Emailing: Home.htm
Please spread the word
Having Trouble with Your Vision?
Every seven minutes, someone in America will permanently lose his or
her eyesight. According to the American Foundation for the Blind, there are
already over ten million Americans who have problems seeing, and the number
is growing at an alarming rate ... among older people it is expected to more
than double by the year 2030.
If you are having trouble seeing, call the North Carolina Division of
Services for the Blind to learn more about services available to you.
Remember that blindness can affect every one of us.
I am willing to help regardless of your county of residence.
Contact Information:
Angelo Sonnesso, M.A. M.S.
Social Worker for the Blind (Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, and Perquimans)
Phone: 252-338-2126
cell: 252-202-1190.
toll-free (866) 269-1380
angelo.sonnesso@dhhs.nc.gov
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Fw: Please plan to join us and share this withy our friends who would enjoy a Classical Christmas celebrated with songs and music.
----- Original Message -----
From: Gail E Sonnesso
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 8:48 AM
Subject: Please plan to join us and share this withy our friends who would enjoy a Classical Christmas celebrated with songs and music.
PRESS RELEASE Please plan to join us and share this withy our friends who would enjoy a Classical Christmas celebrated with songs and music.
Roanoke Island Festival Park A Division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
MORE INFORMATION Press: Tanya Young, (252) 475-1500 ext. 244 tanya.young@ncdcr.gov roanokeisland.com
Or Gail Sonnesso, GEM 252-480-3354
Violins & Voices a Classical Christmas
ROANOKE ISLAND- Violins & Voices a Classical Christmas will be held in the indoor theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park on Friday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. The holiday event is a benefit for GEM, a non-profit that provides a positive and supportive day environment for adults with memory loss, physical and mental disabilities and those in need of socialization. Refreshment will be served following the performance. Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased at the door the night of the event.
Local performers include: Angelo Sonnesso Tenor; Lisa Martinez – Soprano; Christian Jackle –Soprano; Nick Hodsdon - Baritone; Sue Artz – Violin; Joy Martinez and Blaire Smith (8 years old) and
David Spangler – piano/accompanist.
Angelo Sonnesso is a professional musician who received his MA in music from Columbia University. His styles include classical, sacred, contemporary and jazz. His lyric tenor voice and fluid keyboard is memorable. He has performed at New York's Waldorf Astoria; The Brooklyn Academy of Music; New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and served as tenor soloist for the Church of the Resurrection on New York's Park Avenue.
Renowned classically trained violinist Sue Artz grew up in Saratoga Springs , NY and has been playing the violin for 25 years. She performed in symphonies all throughout her childhood and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in music performance from The College of New Paltz, NY. She has been on stage since age 6, playing for thousands over the years at various venues throughout the east coast, including Carnegie Hall with an orchestra and at New York's legendary rock club CBGB's with her former punk rock alternative band. Locally, Sue starred in the Outer Banks Music Showcase, founded the former Heart Strings and Ivory trio, was an original member of the Showstoppers band and has performed at many festivals and benefits.
David Spangler studied at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, and has been a music educator for 34 years and currently resides in Manteo.
GEM meets at the Unitarian Church in Kitty Hawk where participants are welcomed into a safe and inviting atmosphere in which they can socialize, relax and take part in stimulating activities. Participants are treated with respect and dignity and each individual is seen as a special person with a unique personal history. The daily schedule at GEM includes a wide variety of activities that are specially designed to be cognitively and physically appropriate for participants. GEM activities are more than fun and stimulating - they are meaningful. For more information about the organization, visit www.gemdayservices.org or call (252) 480-3354.
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.
Executive Director
GEM Adult Day Services Inc.
Where group Respite is therapeutic for both our participants, and their families.
(252) 480-3354
Fw: Violins & Voices a classical Christmas at Festival Park 7pm December 11th
----- Original Message -----
From: Gail E Sonnesso
Cc: 'MaryEllen'
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 8:35 AM
Subject: Violins & Voices a classical Christmas at Festival Park 7pm December 11th
PRESS RELEASE Please plan to join us and share this withy our friends who would enjoy a Classical Christmas celebrated with songs and music.
Roanoke Island Festival Park A Division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
MORE INFORMATION Press: Tanya Young, (252) 475-1500 ext. 244 tanya.young@ncdcr.gov roanokeisland.com
Or Gail Sonnesso, GEM 252-480-3354
Violins & Voices a Classical Christmas
ROANOKE ISLAND- Violins & Voices a Classical Christmas will be held in the indoor theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park on Friday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m. The holiday event is a benefit for GEM, a non-profit that provides a positive and supportive day environment for adults with memory loss, physical and mental disabilities and those in need of socialization. Refreshment will be served following the performance. Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased at the door the night of the event.
Local performers include: Angelo Sonnesso Tenor; Lisa Martinez – Soprano; Christian Jackle –Soprano; Nick Hodsdon - Baritone; Sue Artz – Violin; Joy Martinez and Blaire Smith (8 years old) and
David Spangler – piano/accompanist.
Angelo Sonnesso is a professional musician who received his MA in music from Columbia University. His styles include classical, sacred, contemporary and jazz. His lyric tenor voice and fluid keyboard is memorable. He has performed at New York's Waldorf Astoria; The Brooklyn Academy of Music; New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and served as tenor soloist for the Church of the Resurrection on New York's Park Avenue.
Renowned classically trained violinist Sue Artz grew up in Saratoga Springs , NY and has been playing the violin for 25 years. She performed in symphonies all throughout her childhood and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in music performance from The College of New Paltz, NY. She has been on stage since age 6, playing for thousands over the years at various venues throughout the east coast, including Carnegie Hall with an orchestra and at New York's legendary rock club CBGB's with her former punk rock alternative band. Locally, Sue starred in the Outer Banks Music Showcase, founded the former Heart Strings and Ivory trio, was an original member of the Showstoppers band and has performed at many festivals and benefits.
David Spangler studied at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ, and has been a music educator for 34 years and currently resides in Manteo.
GEM meets at the Unitarian Church in Kitty Hawk where participants are welcomed into a safe and inviting atmosphere in which they can socialize, relax and take part in stimulating activities. Participants are treated with respect and dignity and each individual is seen as a special person with a unique personal history. The daily schedule at GEM includes a wide variety of activities that are specially designed to be cognitively and physically appropriate for participants. GEM activities are more than fun and stimulating - they are meaningful. For more information about the organization, visit www.gemdayservices.org or call (252) 480-3354.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Issues & Concerns of caregivers to Meet Thursday 11/19 @2pm Unitarian Church
Thursday 11/19 @2pm Unitarian Church
For Community Calendar
Issues and Concerns of Caregivers Meeting
Thursday Nov 19 @2pm
Unitarian Church on Herbert Perry Road in Kitty Hawk
Gail Sonnesso 480-3354
Please join us for an informative meeting and learn about the Dare County Dept. Social Services and their in- home program from Karen Patton, social worker. The group offers an opportunity to meet with other Caregivers and share solutions.
For more information please call Gail Sonnesso @480-3354.
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.
Executive Director
GEM Adult Day Services Inc.
Where group Respite is therapeutic for both our participants, and their families.
(252) 480-3354
Monday, November 2, 2009
Fw: Alzheimer's Awareness: Why Bother?
----- Original Message -----
From: Gail E Sonnesso
Cc: 'Jack Shea' ; 'Warren Judge' ; 'Allen Burrus' ; 'Max Dutton' ; 'Richard Johnson' ; VTillet@darenc.com
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 4:30 PM
Subject: Alzheimer's Awareness: Why Bother?
Please take the time to read this as GEM is addressing many of the topics in this article and swimming against the tide of misinformation.
Thank you,
Gail Sonnesso
Brain Today
News about brain health is published every day covering topics such as memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, treatments, risk factors, diagnostics, and discoveries across the field. Some of the news is objectively reported, some is over-sensationalized, and some is intentionally misleading. This blog is devoted to interpreting the daily news and distilling its true value.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Alzheimer's Awareness: Why Bother?
As you may have read elsewhere, November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. But surely, the public is already well aware of this horrible disease. After all, Alzheimer's has directly affected approximately 1 in every 2 families and the others must have certainly noted its prominent coverage in the news. We don't really need more awareness, right?
Wrong.
Some of the information below may surprise you. That is to say, it is information about which you are not presently aware. However, by merely learning the seven facts below you will be helping to reduce the Alzheimer's problem. That's right…making you aware of this information and encouraging you to share it with your social networks will facilitate a more informed and more effective approach to combating the threat we face from this disease.
First, here are a few facts and figures that you may already know. Alzheimer's currently affects more than 5 million Americans and that number is likely to triple by 2050. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the USA and is climbing steadily in the rankings. Also, Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia and accounts for about 65% of all dementia worldwide. These are all sobering facts but perhaps not new to your understanding.
7 Facts You Need To Know
Now, here are some points you may not know but should. It is the following information that I hope will stimulate discussion and promote a better understanding of the disease. With more discourse, we can begin to erode the lingering stigma that currently prevents some people with early symptoms from seeking timely medical attention.
1) We generally detect Alzheimer's at the end-stage of the disease. On average, Alzheimer's follows a 14-year course from the onset of the first symptoms until death. There is some variability across patients but 14 years is pretty typical. The more surprising news is that, on average, we diagnose Alzheimer's in years 8-10 of that disease course. This means that for most patients, symptoms go undiagnosed and untreated for at least seven years, during which time the lesions spread through the brain and cause irreparable damage. Please be aware that we diagnose Alzheimer's disease far too late to optimize the effects of currently available treatments.
2) Memory loss is not a part of normal aging. The point about end-stage detection raises an obvious question about "why" we diagnose this disease so late. There are many contributing factors but most of them can be reduced through awareness and education. Some patients resist medical attention in the early stages because they fear a stigmatizing label or because they are misinformed to believe that Alzheimer's cannot be treated. Many people, including a startling number of physicians, incorrectly believe that memory loss is a normal part of aging. Improving the timeliness of diagnoses for Alzheimer's is, in many ways, a problem that can be addressed through awareness and education. Please be aware that memory loss is not a part of normal aging and, regardless of the cause of the memory loss, timely medical intervention is best.
3) Current Alzheimer's drugs are probably more effective than you think. Our widespread practice of late detection has many negative consequences. For example, one of the reasons that current treatments are often deemed ineffective is because they are routinely prescribed for patients with end-stage pathology who already have massive brain damage. With earlier intervention, treatment can be administered to patients with healthier brains, many of whom will respond more vigorously to the recommended therapy. Yes, we need better treatments, but a great start would be to intervene earlier with the treatments we already have. Please be aware that currently approved treatments may be more effective than some headlines indicate.
4) Alzheimer's disease can be treated. Another treatment related concept about which everyone should be aware is this. Preventing or slowing further brain damage is preferable to letting the damage spread without constraint. Yet, many physicians, patients, and caregivers conclude that any treatment short of a cure is not worthwhile. While today it is true that we have no cure for Alzheimer's, that does not mean there is no treatment. With a good diet, physical exercise, social engagement, and certain drugs, many patients (especially those detected at an early stage) can meaningfully alter the course of Alzheimer's and preserve their quality of life. Please be aware that "we have no cure" does not mean "there is no treatment".
5) The Alzheimer's drug pipeline is full. Here's another fact of which you should be aware. Through an intense research effort over the past twenty years, scientists have gained a lot of insight about Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and about other factors that increase the risk for the disease. Much has been learned and some very promising drugs, based on sound theoretical approaches, are in FDA clinical trials right now. While much of the disease remains shrouded in mystery and we may still be a long way from better treatments, it is possible that an effective agent is already in the pipeline. Please be aware that, although we don't know when, better treatments for Alzheimer's are certainly on the way.
6) Taking good care of your heart will help your brain stay healthy. Know this; the health of your brain is very closely tied to the health of your body, particularly your heart. Researchers have shown conclusively that high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity all confer greater risk for cognitive decline. The mechanisms that keep oxygen rich blood flowing through your body play a key role in maintaining a healthy brain. Everyone should be aware about the close association between vascular health and cognitive health. Please be aware that maintaining good vascular health will help you age with cognitive vitality.
7) Managing risk factors may delay or prevent cognitive problems later in life. There are well-identified risk factors for Alzheimer's disease that are within our power to manage. These include diabetes, head injuries, smoking, poor diet, lethargy, and isolation. With greater awareness of these facts, we can imagine a world where diabetics take more care to control their blood sugar, where helmets are more prevalent in recreational activities that are likely to cause head trauma, where people smoke less and eat more fruits and vegetables, and where everyone makes a better effort to exercise and to stay socially engaged on a regular basis. While these facts may not be well known, they are all well proven. Galvanizing an effort to publicize them is one purpose of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month. Please be aware that many risk factors for Alzheimer's can be actively managed to reduce the likelihood of cognitive decline.
So why bother with Alzheimer's awareness? Because it is a terrible disease poised to ravage our aging society and the lack of education and awareness has lead to a stigma that prevents a more proactive approach to early intervention. The result is that we diagnose it too late, which hampers the efficacy of available treatments. A more educated public could manage risk factors to minimize the likelihood of Alzheimer's, could monitor personal cognitive health with greater vigilance, and could seek medical attention at the earliest sign of decline. Physicians could then diagnose problems earlier and prescribe appropriate treatment including diet, exercise, and drugs to slow disease progression as much as possible. In the end, we could have fewer cases, more effective treatment, slower progression, higher quality of life, and lower healthcare costs. The social, emotional, and fiscal benefits of awareness and education in this area are too large to quantify.
By reading this article, you have increased your understanding of the problem and raised your awareness about what can be done. That is a great step in the right direction but you can do one thing more. You can help to spread this message.
In the spirit of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month, please share this article with your friends to promote more widespread awareness. Post it to your Facebook page, mark it in Delicious, Tweet it, Digg it, or email it. It doesn't matter how you do your part, it only matters that you get it done.
Follow me on Twitter.
Posted by Dennis Fortier at 9:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: Alzheimer's, Awareness, Education, Risk Factors
Gail E Sonnesso M.S.
Executive Director
GEM Adult Day Services Inc.
Where group Respite is therapeutic for both our participants, and their families.
(252) 480-3354
Sunday, November 1, 2009
GEM Is a Community service that works
GEM is a low cost alternative to traditional long term care.
GEM costs $1,230.00 per month per person or the annual cost to our County
of $30.000.
Studies have shown that families that take advantage of Respite postpone
long term care an average of 1 year.
A large portion of our participants age in-place and never require nursing
home care.
Nursing home care starts at $6000.00 per month and assisted living costs
between $2,500 -$7,500 per month.
It is projected that 80% of residents in long term care are paid for by
Medicaid.
Medicaid is the primary payer for long-term services, but states are having
a tough time affording it.
A national program that improves access to home and community services will
save Medicaid money and strengthen this safety net.
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