Alzheimer's Association to hold retreat at Locust Grove

The Alzheimer’s Association Hudson Valley Chapter will offer a free wellness retreat for people with early- to middle stage Alzheimer’s disease and their family caregivers on Tuesday, June 11, at Locust Grove Estate on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie.

Held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the retreat will include art therapy activities, laughter yoga, hula hooping, mansion tours, garden walks and massage for caregivers with respite care available. A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be served.

Cindy Petry of the Town of Poughkeepsie attended the wellness retreat last year with her mother, Rose Haight, 91, who has mild cognitive impairment. She described it as a very positive experience.

“It was absolutely wonderful,” Petry said. “She loved all the people, the staff. She just had a wonderful time. She made mantra sticks, and that’s all she wanted to do. She made two of them.”

Art therapist Michelle Olson “brought the mantra sticks with her and all kinds of stuff to decorate them – yarn, beads, paint, flowers. The sticks were just pieces of wood. It was a wonderful craft, and you put a word or phrase on the stick that meant something to you. ‘Happy to be here’ was on my mother’s.”

While the retreats are planned so caregivers can have some time to relax and enjoy activities away from their loved ones, Petry opted to stay with her mother, who enjoyed the art therapy exercise so much she wanted to do it again.

“My mother loves crafts, so this was a new opportunity. She made two of them,” she said. “The food was delicious, and it was a beautiful day,” she added, noting that her mother expressed interest in attending this year’s retreat. “She enjoyed it so much she asked about it again for this year.”

They are planning to attend again. Petry said she hopes even more people will turn out for this year’s event.

‘I just think it’s a wonderful program, and hopefully more and more people will partake in it. It’s nice for the person with the disease and the caregivers to get out and have some fun together.”

About Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease, available resources and how you can get involved to support the cause. Visit alz.org/abam to learn more about Alzheimer’s, share your story and how you can support the cause during Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

About the Hudson Valley Chapter

The Hudson Valley Chapter serves families living with dementia in seven counties in New York, including Duchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester. To learn more about the programs and services offered locally, visit alz.org/hudsonvalley.

About the Alzheimer’s Association

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Its vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.