Social Engagements for Individuals Living With Early-Stage Alzheimer's Expands

When Ken Lehmann was diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer's three years ago, all he heard about was what he couldn't do.

"They tell you, you can't drive, you're going to get lost," he said, according to the New York Times. "Don't got out at night, you might have sundown syndrome. Don't try to balance your checkbook, it could be too hard. All these negative things, all these things you're told you can't do now that you have Alzheimer's."

Apparently, Lehmann wasn't the only one who felt exasperated and maybe just a little discouraged: as he and his wife Mary Margaret decided to move to Minneapolis to be hear their daughter, they found a whole subculture of people facing the same situation Ken was but that weren't focused on the can'ts - their eyes were on what they could still pursue.

And they expressed and explored those areas through monthly meetings where they could, as Ken said, "challenge ourselves so we can continue to grow."

Activities included dance, poetry, yoga, visiting museums and concerts, drawing and simply socializing.

"These are joyful events," he said. "There's a lot of laughter, a lot of communication. Because we're all in the same boat, you don't have that feeling, 'What is he going to think?' Everyone there knows you have challenges. There's no judgment."

This in turn has made Ken more accepting of himself and how Alzheimer's has affected him.

Aware that interactions like these are often a source of positivity in the lives of those suffering from the early stages of the disease, Alzheimer's Association has announced plans to expand "social engagement" groups nationwide for them.

Monica Moreno is the director of early stage initiatives at the organization. Of the new initiative she explains that she and her colleagues began, as she told the New York Times, "realizing that people in the early stages are still active and engaged, and they have specific needs and challenges,"

In preparation for the program, Alzhiemer's Association tested a model social engagement program at 18 chapters in 14 states and a separate peer-to-peer program at seven chapters in seven states. Evaluations showed that 95 percent of those who participated say they would do so again.