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NJSAC was incorporated in the state of New Jersey as a non-profit corporation in June of 1998. The mission of NJSAC is to improve the quality of life of stroke survivors and their families by providing therapy, activities and socialization for long term recovery. NJSAC has become the central registry of New Jersey stroke survivors, with a membership of more than 400 from the northernmost tip of Bergen County to Ocean County. Twice Monthly Program To Resume In Spring? Movement and speech therapy programs started out with a bang in the summer of 2000. Everyone fell in love with Maureen, the therapist who conducted the sessions. Attendees reported improvement in movement of affected arms, speech and feeling of well being. By the end of the year, attendance had fallen off to participation by five families. NJSAC will resume these programs in the spring if there is an interest. If we hear from at least ten families who will attend, programs will begin again in April. Programs are held on the second and fourth Friday of each month. There is a charge of $10 per family for an hour of group therapy and an hour of socialization and networking. Refreshments are provided. Call 973.759.9900 or email Mary Jo and put your name on the list. Since the goal of getting 100 people to donate $100 or more to NJSAC was established in July of 1999, $5,900 was donated to NJSAC. Since the last newsletter the following people have donated $100 or more to NJSAC: Chuck McKenna THANK YOU! Too Good To Be True? Coming Soon! Accountability and Social Responsibility Inc. (ASR Inc.) is a non-profit, multipurpose, social service agency that supports programs that address the needs of the community with specifically-oriented goals and objectives. They are interested in the development of sound social, educational, informative and self-awareness programs, projects and functions. NJSAC has been selected to be one of the organizations that will receive financial support from ASR. Thank You, Senior Care Centers Of America Senior Care Centers of America has acquired the former Deerfield Senior Center and changed its name to Senior Care of Totowa. They are allowing NJSAC to continue to use the beautiful facility for our programs during their off-hours as we have done for the past two years. We offer our sincere thanks for their support of NJSAC. To find out more about the services of Senior Care of Totowa, Administrator Suzanne Smilowicz and her wonderful staff can be reached at 973.890.5888 Twice-Monthly Programs to Resume The April programs at Senior Center of Totowa were successful and will continue through the Spring on the first and third Fridays of the month. Part of the success is due to Jim Laughlin, caregiver, who has volunteered to make reminder calls to the participants the week of the program. Call Jim at 973-696-1681 to put your name on the reminder list and get the dates of the program. The 7:00PM to 9:00PM program consists of movement and sound therapy the first hour and networking along with coffee and refreshments the second hour. There is a $10 charge for each family that attends. An ad hoc fund-raising meeting of the family members will take place at the same time as the therapy session. Bring your ideas and fundraising skills to the meeting. NJSAC needs help to continue its growth and be successful in achieving its mission to bring together New Jersey stroke survivors and help them to continue to recover, thereby improving their quality of life. I have had a stroke, I guess its plain to see, I get around in a wheelchair now. But inside, I'm still me. I'm quite confused, my memory's gone, I'm strange, I must agree, But I remember those that I hold dear, 'cause inside, I'm still me. I really miss those folks with whom I joined in daily work, Saying "hi" to my closest pals, and the office jerk, We shared the good times and the bad, and often joked with glee, I'd love to share their laughter now, Believe me I'm still me. I know that I repeat myself , and my stories are outrageous, but the doctor's have assured me that my stroke is not contagious. So if you feel like dropping by, I'd be happy as can be. Despite the things you may have heard, I really am still me. When six years ago I had my stroke, my room contained a crowd. Friends, family, grandkids too, all made me feel so proud. But time can change the best intent, it's really clear to see. I know they have their lives to live, but dammit, I'm still me. It's not much fun to have a stroke, Your legs won't work, your mind is broke, it's pretty hard to take. But compared to isolation and abandonment, it's really a piece of cake. So if you're in the neighborhood, and have some time that's free, why not come and check it out? You'll find that I'm still me. NJSAC & Star Ledger: Community Partners Enclosed with this newsletter, you will find a form with a special offer from the Star Ledger. For only $20.10 you can receive the Star Ledger daily and Sunday for twelve weeks. For every new subscription received, the Star Ledger will give NJSAC $25. If you are not already getting the Star Ledger delivered, fill out the form and send it to NJSAC with a check for $20.10 made out to the Star Ledger [call 973-450-4114 for more information]. Your delivery will start 2-3 weeks after it is received by NJSAC. This is a wonderful fundraiser for NJSAC and we hope you take advantage of this opportunity to help NJSAC. This offer is also good for those who only get delivery of the Sunday paper. You can help NJSAC by switching to daily and Sunday delivery. This offer is not available to those who live in Bergen and Hudson County and the town of Paterson. Sound Therapy for Stroke Survivors At the February 9th program held at the Senior Center in Totowa, guest speaker Dorinne S. Davis, MA, CCC-A related how she uses sound therapy to improve speech, attention, balance, focusing and articulation in stroke survivors and other clients with various deficits. Ms. Davis is a licensed and certified audiologist, trained in all of the sound therapies used at the Davis Clinic. She is an author and international speaker. The Tomatis Method, one of the base line therapies used in her practice, uses sound stimulation and consultation to provide corrective auditory/vocal learning. Ms. Davis also uses BioAcoustics (Life Sounds), which she calls "the therapy of the future". She demonstrated how BioAcoustics, through a Voice Spectral Analysis of each person's "signature sound" helps identify and quantify vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, bio-chemicals and toxins present in the body. Additionally, the Voice Print Analysis identifies areas of muscle tension and weakness and provides the information used to generate specific treatment protocols that establish brain wave entrainment to assist the body in supporting its own functions.Music is known for its physical and emotional healing, and is now being used in hospitals and dental offices. Arline and Jan Fredrichs said they play classical music while traveling in their car to promote Arline's recovery. Angela and Joseph Johnson spoke about the improvement they've seen in Joseph since he started therapy at The Davis Clinic. For more information about The Davis Clinic and how they work with stroke survivors, call them at 973-347-7662 or visit their web site at www.thedaviscenter.com Since the goal of getting 100 people to donate $100 or more to NJSAC was established in July of 1999, $6,600 was donated to NJSAC. Since the last newsletter the following people have donated $100 or more to NJSAC: Call For Articles Stroke survivors and their families and friends are always looking for ways to continue recovery. If you have found a therapist or an alternative therapy/treatment that has enhanced your recovery, please share this with the other stroke survivors who are members of NJSAC. We are seeking articles written in the first person, by stroke survivors or caregivers to let others know there are therapists who understand stroke and are using special/different techniques with stroke survivors and getting results. NJSAC was established because we believe that recovery from stroke continues throughout the stroke survivor's life as long as stroke survivors continue to participate in their own recovery. No one can say how much a stroke survivor will get back, what or when different functions will return, but we know that the stroke survivor must always strive for more. Recovery from stroke is never as fast as you want, but it is continuous. We have seen it in our members, who are getting functions back two, three, five years after the stroke has occurred. Now we are asking stroke survivors to submit articles about successes they have had in return of function due to a therapist or alternative therapy. Articles should be written in first person about your experience and faxed to NJSAC at 973-450-0805 or emailed to maryjo@njsac.org . Your name, as the author of the article, will be included in the newsletter unless you ask that it not be. Hopefully we will receive enough articles to include a new one in each of our future newsletters, so share your successes with other stroke survivors. There are many different treatments and therapies out there and some work and some do not work for individual stroke survivors. We want to let our membership know what is available that has been successful. Research and Clinical Trials in Stroke at Kessler As has been noted in previous newsletters, there are many new therapies available for recovery of motor function. Some are based on scientific evidence and well-established practices, while others are based on intuition or anecdotal evidence. At Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Organization (KMRREC), we have several ongoing clinical trials of new therapies to facilitate motor recovery after stroke. Although our stroke clinical program is fairly new (about 2 1/2 years) we have a successful track record and our results have been repeatedly published in respected scientific journals as well as being featured in the popular media on television shows like Extra. More importantly, most of the programs provide free physical/occupational therapy, and the criteria patients have to meet are fairly minimal. Below, we describe some of the current ongoing trials. If you are interested and think you meet the criteria to enter one of the studies mentioned below, please contact Dr. Steve Page at (973) 243-6989. You can also send him an e-mail message at spage@kmrrec.org Motor Imagery Modified Constraint-Induced Therapy So far, our pilot test has shown that it works. Currently, we are extending the study and looking for people who had their strokes less than a year ago, are finished with all their therapy and have some movement in their wrists and fingers. Eligible patients will either receive: (1) the therapy and sling over the ten week period; (2) therapy only over the ten week period; (3) a home exercise program. For more information contact Dr. Page. Wouldn't it be wonderful if NJSAC members and supporters came out in full force and showed real support for NJSAC? For the past three years NJSAC has had a booth at the American Heart Association Walk and has had a few stalwart supporters who took part in the national walking and Fundraising event. The walk will take place on Sunday, October 21, 2001 at the ADP Campus in Roseland. The full, improved route is approximately three miles. There is a one mile route available. Stroke survivors will wear Red Caps and walkers will wear NJSAC T-shirts. NJSAC participant registration starts at 8:30 AM and the official start of the walk is 10:00 AM. Call Mary Jo at (973) 759-9900 and sign up for the walk. A packet will be mailed out to you with information, directions, a supporter sheet and collection envelope. Since the goal of getting 100 people to donate $100 or more to NJSAC was established in July of 1999,$8,800 was donated to NJSAC. Since the last newsletter the following people have donated $100 or more to NJSAC: THANK YOU! Mr. Ed (Not The Horse) Helps NJSAC Mr. Ed, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been working hard to raise funds for NJSAC. Since NJSAC was incorporated in June of 1998 membership has reached over 500 stroke survivors. That is a very small percentage of New Jersey's stroke survivors. Fifteen thousand New Jersey residents have strokes each year, yet the state of New Jersey has no record of the number of stroke survivors. With our membership , we are the central registry of New Jersey stroke survivors and our members receive a quarterly newsletter with stroke information and programs for activities and networking of stroke survivors and their families. Our goal is to get all New Jersey stroke survivors registered with NJSAC. Thanks to an anonymous donor who gave us the items, NJSAC is able to sell items at 1/2 price or better. All proceeds go to NJSAC. Please ask an NJSAC member or contact us at maryjo@njsac.org for more information. On October 21, 2001 NJSAC participated in the American Heart Association Walk for Stroke and Heart for the third year in a row. The weather was the nicest it had ever been, but the participation by members of NJSAC was disappointing. We thank those who did walk for NJSAC and brought in the following donations: Imagine the amount of money that could have been generated with full participation of our membership, and the services and activities NJSAC would have been able to provide. Holiday Party Friday, December 7 The Fourth Annual Holiday Party is scheduled to be held at Senior Care of America in Totowa, NJ on Friday, December 7, 2001 at 7:00 pm. The festivities will include a sing-a-long, food, Chinese Auction, socializing and networking with other members and families. This will be a pot-luck event. Each family that comes is asked to bring a main dish, salad or dessert, along with the recipe written out to distribute. Each family is also asked to bring an item worth $15 or more for the Chinese Auction. Call 973-759-9900 to let Mary Jo know you are coming and the number that will be in your party. Entenmann's Bakery Outlet, 24 Pompton Turnpike in Little Falls, has generously supported NJSAC's twice monthly programs held at Senior Care Center of America in Totowa. Delicious cakes, pies and cupcakes are given to NJSAC for each program. The programs that are held twice a month consist of an hour of movement and sound therapy for stroke survivors followed by coffee and snacks supplied by Entenmann's. Much networking and socializing among stroke survivors and families occurs at this time. These programs begin each spring and end with the Holiday Party in December. NJSAC encourages you to support Entenmann's as they are supporting us. Stop in and thank them for their support. Needed: Do You Have Any of These Items? Do you have articles still in their gift boxes given to you with love and good intentions, for which you have no use? Put them to good use, donate them to NJSAC and receive a tax deduction. Currently Accepted Items
Please call Tony Vigorito for a FREE appraisal and pick-up @ 973-237-9759 We cannot accept all items & items are not returnable. Since the goal of getting 100 people to donate $100 or more to NJSAC was established in July of 1999, $8,400 has been donated to NJSAC. The people who have donated $100 or more to NJSAC since the last newsletter are: Ed Schreiber Thank You! A support group for caregivers of stroke survivors has been meeting in Wood-Ridge at Chuck & Joan McKenna's home for more than a year. At these meetings, caregivers share their frustrations and problems, with others who have experienced a stroke in the family. It is a time to get respite from the unique responsibilities and hear from others who have found solutions to some common problems. At these meetings, new caregivers benefit from the support and experiences of caregivers of long term stroke survivors. NJSAC has members who live in all New Jersey communities from Bergen down to Ocean. These meetings are too far to travel for many who are in need of a support group. Start a Support Group In Your County If you would like to offer your home or other location as a meeting place for caregivers of stroke survivors, call Mary Jo at 973-759-9900. She will assist you in getting started and in getting the word out to others in your area. On Friday, November 30, 2001, at 7:00 pm, Dr. Eli Alson will be our guest speaker. Dr. Alson is a Past President of the Biofeedback Society of New Jersey, Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management and has been Director of St. Clare's Hospital's Biofeedback and Behavioral Medicine Services for over 15 years. The program will describe how biofeedback and self-regulation skills can help the stroke survivor to recover function by the feedback amplification process, and how biofeedback and stress management skill training can help with the emotional load that can come with having a stroke, losing some of what you could do before, and concern about how others see you. After Dr. Alson's talk, refreshments will be served. There is a charge of $10 per family. Call Mary Jo at 973-759-9900 for more information and directions to Senior Care of America in Totowa. Needed: Help with Art Sale, Spring Event A generous donor has given art work to NJSAC and we would like to sell it to the public at an Art Sale in the Spring. We desperately need someone who has expertise in art and in running art sales. This valuable assistance, to organize and guide NJSAC with this fund raiser, is needed because those who have been very active in NJSAC events and fundraising do not have the experience and knowledge needed to conduct an art sale. Please help NJSAC. Call Mary Jo at 973-759-9900 to offer your services and help make this a successful and fun event. |
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