Wichita Community Matters March 2016

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Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor

March 2016

Art is Ageless® call for entries is underway Wichita Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless® juried art exhibit will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 7 through 25. Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and/or compete for an opportunity to be featured in the 2017 Art is Ageless calendar. An Art is Ageless reception will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. March 25 in the commons area, with the winners announced at 3 p.m. The Art is Ageless® Program encourages Wichita Presbyterian Manor residents and other area seniors to express their creativity through its annual competition, as well as art classes, musical and dramatic events, educational opportunities and current events discussions throughout the year. Having a creative outlet benefits the mind, body and spirit. “The exhibit and competition always draw a wide array of impressive artwork from ART, continued on page 6

Speaker shares insights into Alzheimer’s Susan Scanland, a physician’s assistant for more than 30 years who has specialized in the care of people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, shared her expertise with nearly 75 people at the Doubletree by Hilton at Eisenhower Airport in Wichita on Jan. 20. “It takes on average, two and a half years to get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s,” Scanland said. “And if the person or the family are in denial, it can take up to six year to get a diagnosis.” Waiting can mean that drugs that can help preserve memory function are less effective than they would have been earlier in the disease cycle, robbing the person and their family of months and years of valuable time. Scanland says the three FDA approved medications for early stage Alzheimer’s disease are designed to preserve the body’s store of acetylcholine, the body’s memory chemical. “Drugs like Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne do not add more acetylcholine into the body, but they do slow the decline,” Scanland said. “When should you start taking these medications? As soon as you get a diagnosis.” Scanland does caution that these medications will not bring your loved one a miraculous recovery, but the medications should not be stopped. “Too often, families are hoping for that miraculous recovery and when it doesn’t happen, they decide to stop the medications,” Scanland said. SPEAKER, continued on page 2


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