Local Business Shares the Gift of Memory this Alzheimer's Awareness Month

For the 5.2 million American men and women living with Alzheimer's disease, storing new information in the brain is impossible. Research has shown that talking with people with Alzheimer's or a related dementia about their lives can create positive experiences and help them make sense of the present. That's why, this November, a local business serving Elk Grove Village is inviting the community and the friends and families affected by this heartbreaking disease to share the gift of memory through a Memory Box.

A Memory Box is a collection of treasured items that stimulates memories through smell, touch, taste or sound. Boxes should contain meaningful reminders - such as a family heirloom or an old baseball glove - of past experiences that can be visited time and time again. Including items that can not only be touched, but heard and smelled can trigger additional senses and memories, and often helps those afflicted make better sense of the present.

This tool is one of the many free resources Home Instead Senior Care recommends for families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or a related dementia. Other items include an app for real-time on-the-go dementia care advice, live chats with experts, family caregiver training workshops, dementia care guidebook Confidence to Care, and online tools available at www.HelpforAlzheimersFamilies.com.

For more information on Home Instead and available Alzheimer's care resources, visit www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com or call franchise owner Kelly Hutchinson at (847) 690-9825.