- With Mayo Clinic health education outreach coordinator
Angela Lunde
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Angela Lunde
Angela Lunde is a dementia education specialist in the education core of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Angela Lunde
The transfer of information about dementias, as well as understanding the need for participation in clinical trials, is an essential component of the education core.
Angela is a member of the Alzheimer's Association board of directors and co-chair of the annual Minnesota Dementia Conference. She is a member of the Dementia Behavior Assessment and Response Team (D-BART), a multidisciplinary outreach service assisting professional and family caregivers in understanding and managing difficult behaviors often present in dementia. She facilitates several support groups, including Memory Club, an early-stage education and support series, and more recently, helped to develop and now deliver Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking (HABIT), a 10-day cognitive rehab and wellness program for people with mild cognitive impairment.
Angela takes a personal interest in understanding the complex changes that take place within relationships and among families when dementia is present. She is particularly interested in providing innovative and accessible ways for people with dementia and their families to receive information and participate in valuable programs that promote well-being.
"Amid a devastating disease, there are tools, therapies, programs and ways to cope, and it is vital that families are connected to these resources," she says.
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Alzheimer's blog
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Feb. 28, 2008
Living in the moment is good medicine
By Angela Lunde
We know that dementia damages brain cells, but like many of you I do not believe it destroys a person's humanity or the need to be in relationships with others and valued as a person. Dementia does not erase a person's individuality; it is one aspect of a person with a rich history that came before the diagnosis.
In collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, I facilitate a support group for persons with early stage Alzheimer's disease and their care partner called 'Memory Club'. One of the most meaningful activities comes when each member is asked to bring in something about them, past or present. It is at this time when we are deeply aware of the unique individuals within our group.
The time they spend sharing their photographs, art work, model airplanes, awards, poetry, music (just to name some) reconnects that person to who they are and affirms for all of us that what defines them as an individual is far greater then a diagnosis of dementia.
Yet, the group is not about ignoring what brings them together. They talk about their disease and fully acknowledge that at the present time there is no cure. They candidly share the changes and losses they are experiencing, but in a safe and supportive place. I believe for each of them, the quality of their life is best reflected in the experience of the relationships they share at any given moment on this undeserved journey. The most important moment for a person with dementia is often the present moment.
I was touched by a recent posting that went something like: I could have had more 'semi-quality' time with my husband if I'd lived more in the moment. But it's very hard when you ARE mourning who the person WAS, what could have been, and worrying about the future. These well spoken words reflect that living in the moment in the midst of fear, anger and loss is extremely hard, yet, just may be the best medicine around these days.
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