2005 SEVEN STAGES OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE!

FREE LUNCHEON AT APWU OF FLORIDA SPRING SEMINAR IN ST. PETERSBURG FOR TWENTY (20) CHAPTER RETIREES

The first twenty (20) APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter union dues paying members and spouse or family member who sign in and attend the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter luncheon scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 28, 2005 the first day of classes will be awarded a free luncheon, limited to two (2) free luncheons per Chapter Retiree family, at the APWU of Florida Apr. 28-30, 2005 State Educational Seminar hotel located in St. Petersburg. Information about the name and location of the hotel will be published elsewhere in this issue of the Florida Postal Worker or when available.

The Retirees luncheon is scheduled from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the hotel restaurant at the Spring Seminar. Action by the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Executive Board meeting in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 12, 2004 at the State Retirees Convention approved unanimously future Retirees luncheons at State Seminars to be paid by the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter funds to foster APWU unionism and family ties between the APWU of Florida dues paying active postal worker officers, stewards, members, and family members; the Auxiliary to APWU of Florida officers, members, and family members; and the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter officers, members, and their family members. APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter Happy Folders filled with interesting news articles will be distributed free to all in attendance at the luncheon. The State Retiree Chapter Executive Board will meet from 10 to 11 a.m. at the hotel. If you have a question, call Jack Gose at 727-343-2998.

APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter membership is growing with over 3,100 APWU dues paying members who pay $24.00 year union dues to the National APWU Retiree Department. Our State Chapter has the largest dues paying APWU membership in the United States, and our Chapter is recognized by the National APWU as the #1 leader in planning and implementing new programs for the benefit of our members who live in 67 counties of Florida from the Panhandle to Key West. All National APWU Retirees Department dues paying members are automatically members of the APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter with no state or local APWU Retiree union dues to pay to belong to the State Retiree Chapter. We look forward to meeting everyone at the Retiree luncheon in St. Petersburg!


HOW TO STOP THE PRIVATIZATION (REFORM) OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND MEDICARE

1. Write personal letters and E-mails, telephone their district offices, and make an appointment with your two (2) Florida Senators and Congressional Representatives. You will find them listed in the Congressional Legislator directory on the www.apwuflorida.org website home page. Contact Senator Bill Nelson, Senator Mel Martinez, and your own Congressional Representative to express your disgust and condemnation of any efforts by the Congress to privatize the U.S. Postal Service, Social Security and/or Medicare during their elected term of office. As a voter, you hold all the cards, don’t hold back!

2. Write personal letters, E-mail, and telephone the Editor of your local newspaper, TV station, and Radio Station to express and give reasons why you are opposed to any changes which would privatize your job or weaken your Social Security and Medicare benefits. Send copies to Editor of this newsletter!

3. Join the ranks of union activists by attending your local and state union and retiree meetings, seminars, rallies, and luncheons to help build unity of active workers and retirees, to work together by marching in the streets in solidarity, to oppose the privatization of the U.S. Postal Service and the destruction of Social Security and Medicare. If you need encouragement, E-mail jak.gose@excite.com!

4. Stay informed by reading legislative articles in newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and on the internet. Visit your local library to ask librarian to assist you in becoming computer educated, and go to www.retiredamericans.org (American Alliance for Retired Americans) and www.flara.org (Florida Alliance for Retired Americans), www.apwu.org (American Postal Workers Union), www.flaflcio.org (Florida AFL-CIO) and www.aflcio.org (AFL-CIO) for legislative alerts, discussion, and viewpoints.

SEVEN STAGES OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that destroys cells in the brain and is the leading cause of dementia or loss of intellectual functions. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, first described the disease in 1906. About 10% of people over 65 years of age, 20% of people 75 to 85, and nearly 50 % of people over age of 85 have the disease in some stage. Anyone at any age should consult a doctor if you have symptoms listed below in stage 3 thru 7 or have a prior gene history of this disorder in your own family. There is no cure for this disease; however, four (4) drugs currently are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.

STAGE 1. No cognitive decline (No Memory Deficit).

STAGE 2. Forgetfulness; forgetting where one has placed familiar objects, such as your glasses, car
keys; forgetting names one formerly knew well.

STAGE 3. Patient has early confusion like a 12-year old child.
a. May get lost when traveling to an unfamiliar place.
b. Fellow employees become aware of patient’s poor job performance.
c. Loss of words and names become evident to spouse/family members.
d. Reads a book or article and remembers little material.
e. Cannot remember names of new people introduced.
f. Loses or misplaces an object of value.
g. Has concentration deficit, denial, and/or anxiety.

STAGE 4. Patient has late confusion like a 9 to 12 year old child.
a. Decreased knowledge of current and recent events.
b. Cannot remember own personal history.
c. Less ability to travel and/or handle own finances.
d. Has denial and withdrawal from challenging situations.

STAGE 5. Patient has early dementia moderately severe like a 5 to 7 year old child.
a. Cannot survive without assistance.
b. No recall of major elements of own life, a well known address or telephone number, names of close friends such as grandchildren, high school or college attended.
c. Difficulty counting back from number 40 by 4’s or number 20 by 2’s.

STAGE 6. Patient has middle dementia like a 2 to 5 year old child.
a. Forgets name of spouse or caregiver, children, grandchildren, siblings, pet animal.
b. Unaware of recent events and actions, current year or season, name of President of U.S.
c. Cannot count from number 10 backward and sometimes forward.
d. May become incontinent, have no control over urinating or bowel functions.
e. May become delusional, talk to self in mirror, erratic sleep patterns.
f. Obsessive behavior, repeat continuous cleaning activities.
g. Anxiety, agitation, wild behavior may occur, often violent, psychotic.
h. Loss of willpower, cannot carry a thought long enough to determine a course of action.

STAGE 7. Patient has late dementia, very severe decline, like an l year to 15 months old infant.
a. All verbal abilities have been lost.
b. No speech, only grunts, sometimes a slow loss of other senses.
c. Incontinent, requires assistance in toilet and feeding.
d. Loss of psychomotor skills, abilities to walk.
e. Brain can no longer tell own body what to do.

REACH OUT FOR CARE: 40 million Americans are over the age 65 and one in ten has Alzheimer’s. Four (4) million have the disease, but 3 million are cared for at home. Fourteen (14) million will have Alzheimer’s by year 2040. There is Hope! Call Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Toll free 866-232-8484 or www.alzfdn.org on the internet to get Education and Caregiver Tips from a reliable organization. It is thought by many experts that Alzheimer’s is gene related and Hope is Eternal for a cure someday! Until then, each one teach one, and support all the Caregivers in America who love Alzheimer’s patients!

Article written by Jack Gose, President,

APWU of Florida State Retiree Chapter, AFL-CIO