Rock Creek Senior Living Raising Alzheimer’s Awareness on the Longest Day

As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.

Mary Anne Radmacher

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, when those whose lives have been touched by memory-impairing diseases come together and raise awareness through education and support. This month includes June 21st, the summer solstice and the longest day of sunshine and light during the calendar year.

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia affect over five million individuals in the United States alone. If we continue this current trajectory, this number is expected to triple by the year 2050. The impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals and those who love them is astounding. Memory, personality, problem solving, safety awareness, decision making, relationships – all these things and more are affected through no fault or choice of the individual. For families, this can feel like a loss that never seems to end.

While dementia is incredibly challenging for everyone involved, there are ways that each one of us can bring light to the darkness.

The Longest Day or summer solstice, also known as festival solstice, occurs when one of Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky, for areas outside of the tropics, and is the day with the longest period of daylight. On June 21st people all over the world will fight the darkness of Alzheimer’s through fundraising.

The Longest Day is important for many reasons. It is a time to empower people with knowledge about the disease. It is also a time to recognize those who are caring for someone living with dementia or Alzheimer’s and how difficult that can sometimes be. The Longest Day also speaks to those living with the disease and how all their days run together and can seem exhausting. Education is power and people all over the world need to know more about the disease and how to give those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s a thoughtful, purposeful, and meaningful life.

Here at Rock Creek Senior Living Ankeny, IA we will be celebrating The Longest Day by painting it purple! Purple is the color used to represent Alzheimer’s Disease. We will participate in creating artwork using purple. We will wear purple and have purple foods. Rock Creek will be full of purple for the entire day. If you drop by, be sure and wear purple.

Family is so important to us! Our families play such an important role in our neighborhoods. The joy that our residents receive from different family members is priceless. We welcome and encourage families to join our neighborhood for any event. Reading to our residents, musical entertainment, crafting, sharing your people’s friendly pets, baking, and gardening are just a few of the fun things you could do in our neighborhood. When a family gives of their time, it is hard to tell who benefits more.

Let’s join as communities throughout this month to honor, love, and support not only those living with dementia, but their families as well. If your life is personally touched by this disease, we are here for you.