11 October, 2011
Compass Memory Support Assisted Living at Hopkinton is hosting a book signing and reading with a popular author whose book about her family’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease topped the charts on Amazon.com. The public is invited to attend the event on Monday, November 7th at 2:00 pm at the Hopkinton Senior Center located at 28 Mayhew Street in Hopkinton. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by November 4th to Eric Varin, Compass at Hopkinton, 508-435-1011.
Susan Rava calls her book “Swimming Solo” a “support-group-in-a-book” and one reader described it as a “life-line.” Her personal story about her family’s journey through Alzheimer’s disease is gripping, sad and funny all at once. In the words of a geriatric physician who reviewed the book: “Swimming Solo honors and celebrates the resilience of character and the unique traits that survive over the course of the illness. Rava provides guidance regarding supportive services, the importance of family education, and caregiver respite.”
Eric Varin, Community Relations Director at Compass at Hopkinton, said Compass at Hopkinton is delighted to host this special event at the Hopkinton Senior Center.
“We are interested in providing solid information and guidance to people in our community who are dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s disease in their family," said Varin. "We also want to convey the important positive message that people with dementia can continue to learn, adjust to their illness, play a role in their own care, and live meaningful lives when supported properly. We believe in this concept wholeheartedly – we see it every day in the people we care for here at Compass Memory Support and it is at the very core of the programming we offer through our affiliation with the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center.”
According to Susan Rava, the story of her book “Swimming Solo” begins when her elderly father-in-law set out alone, contrary to family rules, to swim straight across Lake Michigan to Milwaukee. Soon after, he was diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease. Susan Rava went on to describe her other family members who developed Alzheimer’s.
“Later my father showed me a slip of paper. It said, "D-O-R-O-T-H-Y." He said to me, ‘Your mother's name. So I don't forget it.’ He too was in the grip of Alzheimer's. Then followed both my mother-in-law and my mother. My husband, John, and I were the primary caregivers and point people over 14 years. Swimming Solo recreates all four parents in their heydays: they were colorful and productive too. It also shows their declines into Alzheimer's disease. Readers tell me that they laugh and cry.”
Compass at Hopkinton’s innovative memory care approach, developed in affiliation with the Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, treats the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Mild Cognitive Impairment (early memory loss) in a comfortable dignified residential setting. The community, serving the Metrowest and Worcester County area, features 40 apartments as well as sun-filled living and dining areas. Innovative programs include a curriculum-based adult learning program, specialized brain-healthy diet, and individual resident case review. The community offers a day-guest program, holistic hospital rehabilitation program, and respite stays so that family caregivers can travel for business or vacation. For tours and information call 508-435-1011.
