Puzzles To Remember: The Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

PUZZLES TO REMEMBER is a 501(c)3 organization that provides puzzles to nursing homes, veterans facilities, and other facilities that care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Dr. Max Wallack founded Puzzles To Remember in 2008, and continues to act as an advisor and mentor. Hailey Richman is the Executive Director of PuzzlesToRemember. Since 2011, Hailey has been distributing puzzles to nursing facilities around the globe. Hailey is also the founder of KidCaregivers.com, where she provides advice for children dealing with dementia in their family members. Hailey has begun an international program called PuzzleTime which involves pairing youth members with people with Alzheimer's for an hour of shared jigsaw puzzle solving. Dr. Max Wallack serves as a mentor to the KidCaregivers program.

If you have puzzles that you would like to donate, please contact us at Puzzles2Remember@gmail.com and we will find a location near you where you can bring your puzzles. We can also provide you with a donation letter so that you can claim the value of your puzzles as a tax deduction.

To see a short video from WCVB Ch. 5 "BOSTON STRONG" about Max's efforts on behalf of Alzheimer's patients, click here.

To see a short video about Hailey's Puzzle Time Program, click here.

Friday, April 21, 2023

The Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Preclinical - the person has no symptoms but the beta amyloid plaques are still present, and biomarkers are discovered. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) - Grandma had this stage for a while. The person is forgetful but it is not enough to greatly interfere with their life. Sometimes it is even hard to determine if it is normal aging or a very very early stage of the disease. Mild Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease - trouble remembering things they just learned Moderate Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease - confusion takes over Severe Dementia due to Alzheimer's Disease - loss of ability to communicate. WHAT IS NOT LOST? THE ABILITY TO LOVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBER THROUGH ALL STAGES. Do not forget that we can still kiss our family member, hold our family member and love them deeply! Please always know that you are not alone! There are a lot of us out there!