Susan Rickson: "I want people to know that Alzheimer's is more than just a memory disease."
In 2005 Susan Rickson (M.P.A. '93) watched her mother, Ginny Bodahl, slip further and further away as Alzheimer's disease eroded Bodahl's memory and mental capacity. Bodahl, who Rickson describes as a happy woman who loved to laugh, draw and be creative, succumbed to Alzheimer's in October.
Rickson doesn't want others to suffer the way her mother did, so she has set out to educate people about ways to stave off the disease. In November 2005, Rickson launched the Ginny Bodahl Alzheimer's Association in honor of her mother.
"I want people to know that Alzheimer's is more than just a memory disease," Rickson says. "It's something that affects your thinking abilities and how you go about everyday problems and tasks. You don't want that to happen to you, not knowing what year it is or how to put your shoes on."
Through the association, Rickson encourages people to learn about Alzheimer's and find ways to stimulate their minds. Studies show that people who engage in mentally stimulating activities have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Rickson says she began trying to strengthen her mind by doing crossword puzzles, looking up more words in the dictionary and periodically using her left hand, even though she is right-handed. Other preventative measures, according to the Alzheimer's Association, a nonprofit group that researches and supports prevention methods, include eating a healthy diet, staying socially active, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol and exercising the body and mind.
To raise money for the home-based Ginny Bodahl Alzheimer's Association, Rickson is planning a 10k Walk/Run in September 2006 in Roswell, Ga. She also organized an art auction and fashion show earlier this year. Rickson plans to use a portion of the money from the fundraisers to help local assisted-living communities, Alzheimer's-care facilities and nursing homes launch programs for memory classes, purchase crossword puzzle books and start reading groups. Rickson and her volunteers have already started doing weekly crossword puzzles at the Veranda Assisted Living Community in Roswell.
"People forget that they have to exercise their brain just like their body, especially as they get older," Rickson says. "Who knows? If my mom had been doing that, she may have lived a little bit longer."