News Photo by Darby Hinkley Seniors and caregivers participate in the Spark A Connection Memory Cafe on Wednesday at the Alpena Senior Citizens Center, led by Justin Christensen-Cooper, executive director at Art in the Loft. A walk to raise funds for dementia programs is scheduled for May 15, and a dementia presentation by Dr. Counts will be held on May 16, both at the senior center.

ALPENA ­– May is Older Americans Month, and the Alpena Senior Citizens Center is hosting two dementia awareness programs next week.

The first is the Dementia Walk, to be held on Wednesday morning, May 15. Meet at the senior center at 8:30 a.m. at 501 River St., Alpena. The walk will begin at 9 a.m., with the route around the Thunder Bay River in the downtown area.

The cost is $25, which includes a DREAM T-shirt. DREAM stands for Dementia, Resources, Education, Advocacy, Mentorship. Funds raised will go toward dementia awareness programs at the senior center. The walk is presented in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association. Register at the senior center. If you have questions, call BJ Sander or Annie Hepburn at the center at 989-356-3585.

“We’ve really expanded our programming for dementia,” said Sander, program manager at the senior center. “I’m pretty thrilled for our first walk.”

“We want people to be aware that we do need funds to keep our amazing programs going,” Hepburn said.

Thursday, May 16 is Dementia Awareness Day, with a program by Dr. Scott Counts from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. Counts is an associate professor of Translational Neuroscience and Family Medicine at the Michigan State University Grand Rapids Campus. He will give a timely update on the latest dementia treatments. His current research focuses on vascular contributions to dementia. The Alzheimer’e Association has made this presentation possible.

After the presentation, lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for a suggested donation of $4.50 per senior age 60 and older, and a cost of $8 per person under the age of 60.

Then from 1 to 4 p.m., representatives will be talking about the resources available in the dementia program at the senior center. This valuable information will include:

¯ You Are Not Alone support group, which will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

¯ REACH program for caregivers.

¯ Miles for Memories tracking wristbands, available at the senior center.

¯ Spark A Connection Memory Cafe, held from 1 to 2 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.

“These two days will bring not only awareness, but the connections and support for the senior center to continue to offer these programs,” Hepburn added.

She and Sander are excited to bring Dr. Counts and his expertise to Alpena.

“We really want the community, and caregivers, and professionals, everybody, to come out to the senior center for Dementia Awareness Day,” Hepburn said. “More people are being diagnosed, earlier, in our community.”