Dr. Diane Brown

"She is very down to earth and wants to get the word out to folks," said Diane Brown, a clinical professor of occupational therapy at TWU and co-founder of Stepping Stones.

The workshop is designed for those caring for Alzheimer's or dementia patients to help learn more in the following areas: designing a familiar environment, developing an individual program that defines a holistic approach and enabling a person with Alzheimer's to function as independently as possible.

"There is a real hopefulness at these kinds of conferences," Brown said.

"Humor is a cognitive function; as you lose cognition, you don't get the joke any more," said Dr. Diane Brown, a Texas Woman's University professor and occupational therapist. "So we try to joke around a lot."

DRC/Gary Payne DRC/Gary Payne Geri Sams, left, and Diane Brown host Stepping Stones, a support group for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.
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Brown and longtime Denton social worker Geri Sams, of Geri-Options, a professional geriatric consultation and care management firm, started Stepping Stones in 2006 for early stage Alzheimer's patients and their families.
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Brown and Sams volunteer with the group, which meets each Wednesday during the school semester on the TWU campus.
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Brown said she plans activities that connect the present to the past, such as baking cupcakes or making crafts.

Many of the clients are highly educated, and these activities "bring back pleasant memories," she said.

Stepping Stones tries to preserve each group member's dignity and autonomy, she said.
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"We trust each other," Brown said.

She also tries to interject humor when possible.

"I do kid around with them a lot," she said. "Many in the group don't have a peer group anymore. That is what the client group provides — a set of peers where they are accepted and the humor is safe."

During a recent group meeting, Brown said a new member in the client group prompted what could have been a serious moment in another setting.

"We were all just sitting there, and she said out loud to the group, 'I've really been forgetting things lately,'" Brown said. "Everyone just laughed and said that's what this group is for."

Brown's mother died of complications from the disease, and she watched her dad struggle.

"You lose your close relationships. That is one of the big casualties," she said, and people often avoid telling others about a spouse's or relative's Al,zheimer's diagnosis.

"You recognize the vulnerability and you think, 'They're hurt enough by the disease and I'm going to shield them,'" Brown said.

Before her mother's illness, Brown's parents had a close group of friends who dined and traveled together. But seeing the effects of the disease on her mother was too much.

"It hurt people's feelings," Brown said.
...
"They go backwards," Brown said.

"Humor is a cognitive function; as you lose cognition, you don't get the joke any more," said Dr. Diane Brown, a Texas Woman's University professor and occupational therapist. "So we try to joke around a lot."

Brown and longtime Denton social worker Geri Sams, of Geri-Options, a professional geriatric consultation and care management firm, started Stepping Stones in 2006 for early stage Alzheimer's patients and their families.
...
Brown and Sams volunteer with the group, which meets each Wednesday during the school semester on the TWU campus.
...
Brown said she plans activities that connect the present to the past, such as baking cupcakes or making crafts.

Many of the clients are highly educated, and these activities "bring back pleasant memories," she said.

Stepping Stones tries to preserve each group member's dignity and autonomy, she said.

Those who participate in the meetings are usually willing to discuss some of the most personal and profound moments of their lives.

"We trust each other," Brown said.

She also tries to interject humor when possible.

"I do kid around with them a lot," she said. "Many in the group don't have a peer group anymore. That is what the client group provides — a set of peers where they are accepted and the humor is safe."

During a recent group meeting, Brown said a new member in the client group prompted what could have been a serious moment in another setting.

"We were all just sitting there, and she said out loud to the group, 'I've really been forgetting things lately,'" Brown said. "Everyone just laughed and said that's what this group is for."

Brown's mother died of complications from the disease, and she watched her dad struggle.

"You lose your close relationships. That is one of the big casualties," she said, and people often avoid telling others about a spouse's or relative's Alzheimer's diagnosis.

"You recognize the vulnerability and you think, 'They're hurt enough by the disease and I'm going to shield them,'" Brown said.

Before her mother's illness, Brown's parents had a close group of friends who dined and traveled together. But seeing the effects of the disease on her mother was too much.

"It hurt people's feelings," Brown said.
...
"They go backwards," Brown said.

Diane Brown Volunteers Co-Chair: