Maple Pointe acquires program to assist Alzheimer patients

Thousands of Long Islanders diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease may now have a place to turn for comfort and support.

The Long Island’s Alzheimer’s Foundation recently opened its newest Memory Fitness Center program at Maple Point at Rockville Centre Assisted Living recently, giving those residents who have the disorder an opportunity to seek support and engage in activities that could help slow the progression of the disease.

It is the first ongoing program in southern Nassau County.

LIAF was founded in 1988 and provides resources, programs and support from pre-diagnosis through end-of-life for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families throughout Long Island and Queens.

Activities in the program include word games, art and music quizzes and fitness exercises. The sessions are planned and supervised by LIAF representatives and social workers and are open to individuals facing all stages of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

“Maple Pointe is a respected assisted living community known for its dedication to its residents,” said Tori Cohen, executive director of LIAF. “Their commitment and location make them an ideal partner. With this location now open and growing, more families have access to our programs, which maintain and enhance cognitive abilities.

Cohen added that the participants will not be the only beneficiaries to the program.

“Caregivers also benefit from our programs by receiving a much-needed respite, while their loved ones are attending sessions,” she said.

Transportation is also provided to individuals not living at the center through a New York Department of Transportation grant and partial funds form the Long Island Community Foundation.

“We recognize that families in Rockville Centre and southern Nassau County need the important programs that The Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation offers,” said Maple Pointe executive director Tammy Marshall. “The management of Maple Pointe welcomes the opportunity to provide a safe and comfortable environment for its program participants.”

Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory or their ability to think. According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the third-highest among older people, behind heart disease and cancer.