On May 20th, Northwest Indiana residents joined together for the 17th Annual Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana 2017 Fundraising Walk. In a walk thanking the “Superheroes Among Us,” each step was made to honor those living with a form of dementia and the friends and family members supporting them each day.
These superheroes were not just the close care givers though, these superheroes included the caring, dedicated staff of Sebo’s Nursing and Rehab, Munster Med-Inn, and the Legacy at Spring Mill Health Campus.
“Every day, there are many superheroes around us, including those in our own health campuses that care for patients’ suffering with dementia and Alzheimer’s every day,” Kelly Petty said, Regional Director of Marketing.
The walk began at the Franciscan Communities, St. Anthony Village in Crown Point and continued through the South Gate of the Lake County Fairgrounds. Because of the dreary weather, the superheroes in the walk decided to remain on the ground, letting their capes billow out behind them as they walked alongside patients and family members.
Music streamed through the air and walkers were invited to bring their entire family, pets included. Breakfast was provided before the walk, and all funds collected from the walk went to the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana.
The staff at Sebo’s, Munster Med-Inn, and Spring Mill came out to celebrate the event as well, even inviting Superheroes, Batman and the Hulk.
“The 2017 Fundraising Walk was a great day in which the community came together to support the amazing services that the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services of Northern Indiana provide to our communities and their families,” Petty said.
According to the organization, every 66 seconds, someone in the United States develops the Alzheimer’s Disease. There are currently 5.4 million people suffering from some form of dementia and by 2030, that number is projected to triple.
In 2015, the ALZNI walk helped more than 4,972 families living with Alzheimer’s or related form of dementia by providing support groups, private family counseling, family and community education and much more. Of the collected funds, 100 percent of it stays in the local community.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s, the staff of Sebo’s, Munster Med-Inn, and Spring Mill work with patients living with some form of the disease on a daily basis. All three facilities provide a specialized memory care program that is specifically designed to accommodate residents with memory challenges – from the colors and lighting used throughout the building to providing safe and secure access to outdoor areas.
All the facilities provide maximum independence and personalized care in a secured environment, while still offering a homelike place to live. Everything provided at each facility, from the home-y decorations, to the family-like staff, encourages the residents’ health, happiness, and well-being.
As the staff guide their patients to a memory-care session, a physical therapy appointment, or even just chatting with them about their past, you may not see a cape or big ‘S’ emblem on their chest. Yet, they are scrub-wearing superheroes dedicated to the care of those in Northwest Indiana living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.