Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
24/7 Helpline, Care Consultations, and Support Groups
The 24/7 Helpline provides expert advice and referral to local services such as assisted living, long-term care, adult day health centers and support groups. Our helpline is also online and translation service is available in over 140 languages. Helpline counselors keep in touch with callers and provide them with ongoing support. Care Consultation is an invaluable service for individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer's disease and provides in-depth, person to person assessment. Our Care Consultants help individuals and families develop a plan for care throughout the disease process, educate them about the disease, provide coping strategies for day to day living, connect them with community resources and empower them by providing the tools to support informed decision-making. Support groups are crucial for families to connect to others. We maintain over 225 support groups, including groups for Spanish speakers, African-Americans, and people with early-stage Alzheimer's.
Education for Families and Professionals
Our education programs have three target audiences: 1) the general public; 2) individuals and family affected by Alzheimer's disease, and 3) healthcare professionals who serve people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. For the general public, we have programs on the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's and basic knowledge about the differences between normal memory changes and Alzheimer's disease. Educational programs for families further prepare caregivers to help their loved one cope with physical, emotional and psychological challenges of Alzheimer's. These programs cover getting a diagnosis, legal and financial issues, skills training for caregivers, and advance planning for people with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Education for professionals such as the annual ""Map Through the Maze"" conference and our ""Habilitation Train the Trainer"" program help health care providers learn more about the disease and implement a person-centered, cross-cultural approach to Alzheimer's care. Better educated and informed health care providers are current in their knowledge of dementia symptoms, screening tools and treatments. They are also better equipped to make appropriate referrals.
Power + Purpose
The goal of the Power + Purpose program (also known as the Early Stage Empowerment Program) is to improve the quality of life for people with mild Alzheimer's by providing opportunities for social interaction, engagement through volunteerism and advocacy. This initiative will allow our organization to reach an unprecedented number of people with Alzheimer's while they are in the early stages of the disease. It will also promote positive messages about living with Alzheimer's and improve the public conversation about Alzheimer's disease so that it is no longer missing the voices of people living with the disease.The four primary elements of Power + Purpose are: (1) A public awareness campaign created for, and in part by, people with mild Alzheimer's; (2) Intensive recruitment of participants; (3) A year-round calendar of social/cultural activities and a supportive environment for volunteering in the community. (4) Creation of a new community of trained advocates with mild Alzheimer's.
Public Policy
The mission of the public policy and advocacy program of the Alzheimer's Association is to influence public policy by collaborating with federal, state and local agencies to raise the issue of Alzheimer's disease to a higher priority. In Massachusetts, the Alzheimer's Association is currently working to secure quality care for everyone with Alzheimer's and related dementia in every care setting, to preserve access to Adult Day programs in Massachusetts and to continue to ensure that Alzheimer's is a priority for the legislatures and Governor of Massachusetts. We have hundreds of volunteer advocates and ambassadors, including individuals with Early Stage Alzheimer's, who work together to promote legislation and government planning which will improve dementia care and services, improve access to community-based care, improve quality care in residential settings and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia.
Outreach to Diverse Communities
We seek to ensure underserved populations dealing with the disease get the treatment and support they need. Because African-American and Latino communities face a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, we have staff members who run specific support groups for these populations as well as providing education programs in the community and working with other local nonprofits to reach the community. We also work with healthcare providers to increase their awareness of health disparities related to Alzheimer's disease detection and treatment. We also address the needs of Portuguese-speaking communities, Vietnamese communities, people with disabilities, and people in rural/isolated communities.
Where we work
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Login and updateAwards
Book of the Year for the co-authored "Dementia and Wandering Behavior" (Springer Publishing) by Gerald Flaherty, former VP of Medical & Scientific Programs 2002
American Journal of Nursing
Lamplighters award for (1) A Love Story, profile of Rob Epp and Jordan Lassoff (2) Fade To Darkness, WBUR series (3) Untold Story, Boston Globe series on younger-onset Alzheimer's 2011
New England Society of Health Care Communications (NESHCO)
Affiliations & memberships
Affiliate/Chapter of National Organization (i.e. Girl Scouts of the USA, American Red Cross, etc.) - Affiliate/chapter 1980
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Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter
Board of directorsas of 6/22/2016
Mr. Kurt Purnell
Lead Development Manager, ILOG, Inc.
Term: July 2013 - June 2016
Jurgen Bludau
Executive Medical Director of Geriatrics and Home Health, Elliot Hospital, Manchester, NH
A. J. Burnett
Meteorologist
Thomas Croswell
Chief Operating Officer, Tufts Health Plan
Stephen Foley
Senior Vice President, RBS Citizens, N.A. Mid-Corporate Banking-New England
Brent Forester
Director, Mood Disorders Division, Geriatric Psychiatry Research, McLean Hospital
Jim Garrett
CEO, Volta Oil
Shirley Gordon
Claims Representative, Concord, NH
Richard Hiersteiner
Partner, Sullivan and Worcester
Joe McCafferty
Managing Director, Tandem Solutions
Chris Meyer
Managing Member, Centre Street Enterprises
Bernice Osborne-Pollard
Manager, Massachusetts Mentoring Partnership
Kurt Purnell
Lead Development Manager, ILOG Inc.
Ralph White
Former President, Davidson Rubber Co., and former CEO, Troy Mills
Stephen Hume
Retired, Clinical Psychologist and Person with early-stage Alzheimer's Disease
Christopher Romito
Financial Business Consultant, John Hancock Financial Services
Margaret O'Connor
Director of Neuropsychology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Center for Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Faith Parker
Community volunteer
Beth Fentin
Leadership Council member
Mike Henry
Compliance Officer, New Generation Advisors
Desmond MacIntyre
Chairman and CEO, Standish Mellon Asset Management Company
Mauryanne Remondini
Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility, John Hancock Financial Services
Roger Tougas
Chief Financial Officer, Shawmut Design and Construction