Formulate A Plan

Rachel Hart, Jordan Jones, Mackinsey Smith

Smiles for ALZ

Mission Statement
Provide joy and company for patients with Alzheimers
and educate volunteers about the disease

Organizations

Capital of Texas Chapter of the

Alzheimers Association

Mission: to work towards eliminating Alzheimers by increasing and

improving support services for those affected while also funding
research for the elimination of the disease

Alzheimers Association established in 1980

The chapter serves 17 counties in central Texas, from Bastrop to

Williamson

Provides support, education, and resources

Westminster Retirement Facility

Mission: to provide a comfortable place for the elderly to live in and to

provide health services and activities

Established in 1967

First community in Texas to give residents privacy as well as access to a

24-hour, onsite health center

Board of directors includes administrators, residents, and their families

Managed by Life Care Services, which develops and manages senior

living communities

Currently serves about 28,000 residents

Serves more than 85 communities

Dementia Friends

Mission: to inform members of various communities about dementia and

practical ways to assist those who have dementia

Established February 2013

Reached one million Dementia Friends on February 21 st, 2015

Initiative of the Alzheimers Society in conjunction with Public Health

England

Program currently in England and Wales, but hoping to expand

Its easy to become a Dementia Friend! Simply

Watch a short video and

Get a Dementia Friend pack in the mail including The Little Book of Friendship
and a badge

Take Action Options

Pen Pals

Partnering students with patients who have Alzheimers and forming a

pen pal relationship between the two groups

Impact: shows that others care and can brighten their day

Pros

Provides student interaction

Letters are fairly easy to write

Less intimidating than a face-toface interaction

Cons

Alzheimers patients would have

difficulty remembering past letters

Residents would likely not respond

Due to decreased fine motor skills,

letter writing would be difficult

May be difficult to read small

handwriting

Donation Drive

Collecting supplies that a retirement home or other location with a high

population of people with dementia may need

Impact: helps organizations aid their patients

Pros

Gives organizations the things

that they need

Has the possibility for increased

collaboration with other
organizations

Cons

Homes that specialize in

Alzheimers often have high funds
because they are often privately
funded by residents and families

May not be highly successful in

receiving items we need

One Day Event With Different

Activities

Organizing a day of events at a facility with a high population of people

with Alzheimers or other forms of dementia

Impact: provides a day of fun and company with young adults

Pros

Offers variety of events in a

single location
Does not require a regular
volunteer group

Cons

Difficult to organize

Issues hard to foresee and

account for

Library Partnership

Partnering with a library to provide books to residents at a retirement

home

Impact: creates a long-lasting relationship between multiple

organizations
Pros
Cons

Allows us to partner with multiple

organizations

Provides a stimulating activity

Possible ongoing collaboration

Returning books may be an issue

Print-size would need to be

considered

Take Action

Weekly/Bi-Monthly/Monthly Events

Organizing a single event per week/month at Westminster

Impact: provides a consistent opportunity for the formation of

relationships across generations

Pros

Cons

Provides a recurring event

Westminster has a lot of

resources

Getting volunteers together each

week

Finding opportunities for

collaboration

Westminster has a lot of

resources

Opportunities for creativity

Special focus on memory care

Possible Activities

Movie and a Snack

Root beer floats

Popcorn

Game Night

Dominoes

Card games

Bingo

Qwirkle

AHS Fine Arts partnership

Orchestra solo performance

Ceramics

Etc.

Cookie Decorating
Flower Arranging

Randalls/HEB

Randalls/HEB

Crafts

Collage

Caf Monet

Michaels

Painting with a Twist

Implementation

Volunteers

Flyers with pull off tabs with group email for more information/sign up

Flyers in student folders within classrooms/for handout

Announcement on K-AHS?

Crash course

Possible service hours

Partner with NHS for NHS hours?

Scheduling Activities Ahead of Time