This past year, CJE’s Adult Day Services–Evanston (ADS) created a new program geared toward those with early memory loss, or who have recently received a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s disease or a related type of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. The program, comprised of practical skills, intellectual challenge, and healthy lifestyle practices, admits up to ten participants per session and takes place quarterly, with weekly two-hour sessions for six weeks.
Take CHARGE builds on the ADS Colorful Care model of six core principles: cognitive stimulation, stress management, socialization, creativity, a healthy diet, and physical exercise. Each principle corresponds to a color, arranged as a rainbow, in the ADS schematic. Each week of the six-week session focuses on one of the pillars in the Colorful Care model, to foster engagement and healthy aging among participants as much as possible.
Every meeting includes brain games and challenges, memory techniques, creative questions, an educational article the group reads aloud and discusses, and a focused program based on the week’s theme. “We have identified people who need support, community, strategy, techniques, and other compensatory ways of coping,” says Sarah Cohen, Manager of the Cognitive Wellness Initiative at ADS–Evanston.
At the end of each class, participants create a personal action plan, with goals based on the material covered that day, to work on during the week. Examples might be increasing daily movement or adding a weekly mindfulness exercise. Everyone reviews their action plan at the next session, to evaluate whether they were able to meet their goals. “We’re amazed with the follow-through,” says Cohen. “People are really excited to learn new things.”
The first two sessions of Take CHARGE were limited to ADS participants. However, the program has since opened up to the general public. To learn more about it or to enroll, call ADS at 847.492.1400 or visit https://cje.net/take-charge-of-your-cognitive-health/. Take CHARGE programming takes place at the newly renovated ADS building in Evanston.
