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Puzzles To Remember

PUZZLES TO REMEMBER is a 501(c)3 organization that provides puzzles to nursing homes, veterans facilities, and other facilities that care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Puzzles To Remember was founded in 2008 by Max Wallack, who recognized the calming effect of puzzles and many other benefits on people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Max graduated from Boston University, Summa Cum Laude, in 2015, and from Harvard Medical School in 2020.

Beginning in 2020, Hailey Richman is the Executive Director of PuzzlesToRemember. Since 2011, Hailey has been distributing puzzles to nursing facilities around the globe. Hailey also spends time doing the puzzles with nursing home residents. She always brightens their days.  Hailey is also the founder of KidCaregivers.com, where she provides advice for children dealing with dementia in their family members. Hailey has begun a program called PuzzleTime which involves volunteer students going to nursing facilities and doing puzzles with their residents. Max serves as a mentor to the KidCaregivers program.

If you have puzzles that you would like to donate, please contact us at Puzzles2Remember@gmail.com and we will find a location near you where you can bring your puzzles. We can also provide you with a donation letter so that you can claim the value of your puzzles as a tax deduction.

To see a short video from WCVB Ch. 5 "BOSTON STRONG" about Max's efforts on behalf of Alzheimer's patients, click here.

To see a short video about Hailey's Puzzle Time Program, click here.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Doing Puzzles With Alzheimer's Patients

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By Max Wallack
Puzzles to Remember

In late December, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Compass on the Bay in South Boston and to interact with the residents there.  Compass on the Bay is a memory support assisted living facility. A link to their great facebook site is here.

This facility certainly seems to offer some wonderful opportunities for their residents.  Not only do they have frequent and innovative programming for those with dementia, they also provide specialized services for residents with Mild Cognitive Impairment:

"Residents experiencing the early symptoms of dementia (Mild Cognitive Impairment - mild memory problems, some confusion) benefit from a full array of memory support services, all focused on maintaining and improving brain function for a higher quality of life. Compass on the Bay is the first assisted living community in our area to address the needs of these individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), often described as the stage between forgetfulness associated with normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease."

Both the residents and the staff displayed happy, upbeat attitudes.  I especially enjoyed the opportunity to do some of the Springbok PuzzlesToRemember with the residents.







Max Wallack is a student at Boston University and a Research Intern in the Molecular Psychiatry and Aging Laboratory in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at
Boston University School of Medicine.  His great grandmother, Gertrude, suffered from
Alzheimer's disease. Max is the founder of  PUZZLES TO REMEMBER. PTR is a project that provides puzzles to nursing homes and veterans institutions that care for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.


 

1 Comment:

Alzheimer's Care said...

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease can be very challenging. As the disease progresses, different areas of the brain are affected. People with mid to late stage Alzheimer’s may have difficulty expressing their needs in words, may be less able to reason and may be unaware of what is socially appropriate.

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PUZZLES TO REMEMBER was founded in 2008 by Max Wallack, in memory of his great-grandmother, Gertrude Finkelstein, who died of Alzheimer's disease in 2007.
Puzzles To Remember is registered in Massachusetts as a public charity. Contributions are welcome, and are tax deductible under sec. 501(c.)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

For more information, write to us at Puzzles2Remember@gmail.com