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November 9, 2007
Marquette General Neuroscience Center awarded $90,000 grant
The Marquette General Neuroscience Center has been awarded a three-year, $90,000 grant from the Helen Bader Foundation, of Milwaukee, Wisc., to assist the Memory Diagnostic Center in providing ongoing caregiver support to families caring for a loved one diagnosed with memory loss.
The Bader Foundation grant resource allows for the provision of ongoing social services to families after diagnosis of irreversible dementing disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular demetia, lewy body dementia and frontal temporal lobe dementia.
“It is important to provide families with information, support and referrals to community resources after diagnosis,” said Julie Kemp-Havican, social worker and coordinator of the grant-funded program. “Many families feel overwhelmed at the time of diagnosis or at other points in the disease process, such as when changes in levels of care are needed. It can help just to have someone point you in the right directions.”
Dr. Roman Politi, neurologist and expert on dementia, is the Medical Director of the Memory Diagnostic Center.
“It is conservatively estimated that about four percent of the population of the Upper Peninsula suffers from some form of dementia,” said Politi. “When significant memory loss occurs, the patient’s entire family can be affected. There are issues of independence, personal safety and long term planning. This grant will help to connect families to the right resources.”
The Memory Diagnostic Center originated in November of 1999 and currently offers two clinic days a month in Ishpeming at the Tobin Center, and two days at Marquette General Neurology, located in the skywalk at Marquette General Hospital. The Memory Diagnostic Center offers a team approach to managing memory problems, including a comprehensive neurological evaluation, diagnosis and recommendations for daily living. With the assistance of the Bader grant resources, ongoing case management and caregiver support after diagnosis can be provided to families and caregivers.
The Helen Bader Foundation, Inc., supports innovative projects and programs that advance the well being of people and promote successful relationships with their families and communities. The Foundation is named for the late Helen Bader, a Milwaukee businesswomen who became a social worker. With offices in Milwaukee and Jerusalem, the Foundation awards an average of $12 million per year in grants, totaling more than $163 million in grants since it was established in 1992.
For more information about this project or the Memory Diagnostic Center, call Julie Kemp-Havican at (906) 225-3405 or 1-800-562-9753, ext. 3405.
Information about the Memory Diagnostic Center is also available online at www.memorylosshelp.org.
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