August 18, 2025 • 30 mins
This week’s show featured Community Alliance president and CEO Aileen Brady promoting their annual “Breaking the Silence” event to combat the stigma of mental health, Dundee Day production manager Eric Kaplan inviting the public to their free community event on August 23rd in the heart of the city, and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America president and CEO Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. discussing their free education conference at Bellevue University on September 17th.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten kfab It's Scott.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
For Heats and thank you so much for being a
part of our program. This week, we welcome back to
Community Matters from Community Alliance. Their president and CEO, Aileen
Brady is back here on the program. That means Breaking
the Silence is coming up here. Aileen, welcome back to
Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Well, thank you so much. Scott. I appreciate being on
the show.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's one of the more heartwarming events on the calendar
year for Omaha. Breaking the Silence has been going on
for a long time. Before we talk about the event
on Thursday, October ninth at the Holland Center and who
you're bringing in for it, let's talk about why Breaking
the Silence is this annual event in which also dovetails
into what Community Alliance is all about.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Absolutely, yeah, thank you. So this is our twenty ninth year.
It's kind of unbelievable to think it's been going on
that long. But you know, when we think about mental
health and substance choose challenges and the people that we
are serving at Community Alliance. We know that while we've
made good progress on breaking down some of the stigma
and the misunderstanding that goes along, it's still there and
(01:27):
people are still somewhat reluctant to seek out that help
that they need. And you know, there's a lot of
reasons for that, but we want to provide this Breaking
the Silence event to continue to break down the stigma,
continue to break down the misunderstanding about mental illness and
substant use, and encourage people to get the help. So
(01:47):
we're breaking down the silence. We want people to speak out.
We want people to speak up. We want people to
not be embarrassed at all about any concerns that they
have about themselves or loved one.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Seen an age difference in that stigma attached to discussing
mental illness. I've got teenagers and they've got a lot
of friends, and it seems like this conversation is a
lot more commonplace than anything I would have had at
that age, or even at the age I am now
and older.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, you're you're right there. There's definitely an age
difference and for the younger group in our community, they're
much more open and much more willing to talk about
how they feel and talk about what they need and
the services that they need, and they're more willing to
seek that out. But when we're talking about, you know,
people in our even forty and above, they're not as willing.
(02:40):
You know, I think the pandemic, if we would to
talk about that, it helped a little bit because more
people experience that loneliness or even some depression during that time.
But there's definitely an age difference and who's willing to
seek out the help they need.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Sure, well, I think some of it comes down to
not knowing what resources or assistance is available.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
If they say, like.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, I've got some issues I'm working through here, but
I don't know even who to talk to or what
they're going to be able to do to quote unquote
fix me. What does Community Alliance do to assist in
answering those questions?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Aileen, Yeah, Well, thank you for having me on the
show today, because part of I think the barrier is
that people just don't know where to go, and oftentimes
people may not even think about it till they're in
the need for set services. So having an opportunity like
this to talk about what we do is a great
opportunity and with your listeners. So overall, big picture with
(03:42):
Community Alliance, you know, we are providing mental health treatment
and rehab services for both the mental health and the
subs for people with mental health and substance use challenges.
So that's a whole variety of the traditional outpatient medication
management and counseling and the services there. We also have
a primary care clinic to address the whole person, so
it's an integrated approach to the type of services. We
(04:05):
have a pharmacy here at the organization so people can
see their doctor, get their prescriptions, get their medicine picked up,
all in one location, making it convenient if transportation could
be a barrier. We also have a facility based services
and community based services where we can come to the
home and provide support to that individual and or that family.
(04:28):
And we have employment services to help people get back
to work. So we have a whole host a whole
array of services. All one needs to do is walk
in our door, give us a call, or reach out
to us on our website and ask for help and
we'll talk through what of the services we have may
be a good fit for them, and.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You'll find omahas Community Alliance online at Community Dashalliance dot org.
That's for all the resources. Alien Brady, president and CEO
of Community Alliance, just discuss Community dash Alliance dot org.
That's also where you can click on the Breaking the
Silence tab on that web page and learn about The
(05:09):
twenty twenty five edition of this event coming up on Thursday,
October ninth at the Holland Performing Arts Center downtown Omaha.
Aileen Who is the featured speaker this year, so.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
We're excited to welcome Ginger Z to Omaha this year.
She is the chief meteorologist for Good Morning America. She's
actually the first female chief meteorologist at a major news network,
so we're excited to bring her here. She is a
familiar face with Good Morning America. She also is an
(05:42):
author and has written at least two books. Her first
one was a natural It's called Natural Disaster, I Cover
Them and I Am One. Her second book was a
Little Closer to Home, and both books talk about her
personal experience with depression and experiencing spacificial ideation in her life.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I of course have seen her on ABC's Good
Morning in America for years, I you know, and I
know that you hear this a lot as people say, well,
I had no idea that that individual had any issues
with mental illness or anything like that. You know, a
lot of times you don't have any.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Idea, right, right, that's correct, And again Untils, maybe it
triggers an event, has triggered some period of depression, like
a situational depression, or that the symptoms begin to show
themselves at a particular age with a younger person and
maybe their twenties and late twenties, but they often don't
(06:48):
know for sure what they're experiencing when they begin to
feel some of those depressive symptoms or even psychotic symptoms,
So that that's where getting the help, talking to someone
sharing what those symptoms or what those experiences that the
person is having so they can get more accurate information
than an accurate diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I don't see a problem. I'd love your expertise on
this thought here, Aileen. I don't see a problem in
people thinking, wow, I didn't realize that person was dealing
with that, because it can provide hope to people. Is
to say, and it doesn't look like this person's not
dealing with it because they always have it all together,
so to speak. It's because what people deal with is
(07:31):
often manageable on some level, and you have to find
what works for you. So I think that's inspiring that
you can say, Wow, I had no idea that Ginger
Z from Good Morning to America and talking about the
weather across the country had any issues at all.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yeah, that's exactly right. And so many of the guests
that we've had over the years have come to this event,
and one of the first comments that we hear them
say as we're talking to the individuals that we serve
is I'm just like you and I experience this. But
that hope that they bring of recovery and accomplishment and
(08:08):
being able to just enrich people's lives through their own
talents and skills does most definitely bring that hope back
that I too can achieve that level of recovery.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And I've had an opportunity to talk with some of
the individuals who have come to Omaha for breaking the silence,
and I think about, you know, some of these actors
I really like Sean Aston is one who was here,
Joey Pants, Joe Pantaliano actually both from the movie Goonies
and two separate years for this event. You know, it's
(08:42):
very interesting to talk with them about their journey. And
I'm wondering now, since you said that this is the
twenty ninth year for breaking the silence, do you have
people of note who are reaching out to Community Alliance
saying I see what you guys are doing in Omaha.
I'm available next year if you need a keynote speaker.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Well, we haven't had that happen, but I wish that
could happen. But we have had amazing speakers over the years,
and you know, I think for the city of Omaha
and the surrounding area they've had a treat every year.
It seems like we get the right guest the right year.
(09:21):
Ginger was actually scheduled for last year and then Hurricane
Milton interrupted her visit to Omaha. So we brought in
Sean Aston's daughter Ali for last year's event, And while
she may not be as well known, she was actually
the third generation of that family who has become a
mental health advocate. Patty Duke is her grandmother, Sean and
(09:44):
her dad, and now Ali is also speaking out about
mental health and promoting increased use of mental health services.
So it's fun to bring her in. We've always had
great guests and Ali was as close as you can.
I'm available, let me come.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
How do you go about tracking down potential keynote speakers?
I'm just reviewing the list to jog my own memory.
It was just a few years ago, the Blossom and
also from Big Bang Theory. My biolic was here in
town for this and just a really Jeffrey tambor I
recognize his name on here. Here's Dorothy Hammel gold medalist
(10:24):
figure skating champion from my youth. How do you go
about reaching out to people and saying would you mind
burying your soul for a room full of people at
our event?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yeah, and that's exactly what we do. Well. We actually
use a variety of services agents that will help us
with the ideal candidate that we're looking for for that year,
and they help us make those initial contacts.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, if you want to be a part of this
year's event, which again is coming up at the Holland
Center downtown Omaha on Thursday, October ninth, go to Community
Dashalliance dot org. What do they need to do? Today
a lane to guarantee that they're there on October ninth.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
So there's a there's a couple of things that can
be done. We certainly do want to invite our community.
This is our annual educational and awareness event. It's also
a fundraiser for us to help continue to support to
many alliances services and programs for the Omaha area. So yes,
community dash Alliance dot org and click on Breaking the Silence.
(11:26):
There's two opportunities. You can purchase a ticket to come
to the event with you are a friend. Also, we
have sponsorship levels that are available and there's still time
to become a sponsor. Those sponsorship levels are also on
our website. We are going to be printing our invitation
here in the next week or two, so we're getting
(11:47):
down to some print deadlines, but sponsorship levels will be
available up through the end of September.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Excellent community Dashalliance dot org for details. Not only on
Breaking the Silence twenty twenty five Thursday, October ninth at
the Holland Performing Arts Center featuring Emmy Award winning meteorologist
published author from Good Morning to America, Ginger Z will
be here this year, but you can also visit that
website for all of that which Community Alliance does to
(12:19):
find ways to end the stigma associated with mental illness
right here in our community online at Community Dashalliance dot org.
Aileen Brady is President and CEO of Community Alliance. Thank you,
Aileen so much for what you're doing for people here
in our community, and thanks for talking about it on
Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Absolutely, and Scott, thank you so much for the opportunity.
It was a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Since we have just a minute or so before our
next guest here on Community Matters, I wanted to give
you a sense of the keynote speaker for breaking the
silence this year, telling just a very small part of
her own story. Here is Ginger Z.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
I think I started struggling with my mental health at
a very young age. I remember thinking there was the
Ginger on the outside, named after the movie star on
Gilligan's Island, and that's who I thought, and I do
think is in my truest self. But then there is Renee,
which is my middle name, and I think I always
thought of Renee kind of like the Beyonce and Sasha
(13:19):
Fear says, like the at home you know sullen.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
I mean what kindergartener is sullen? I think I was.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
I think I had those moments and I knew it.
I knew that that was in me.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Especially after my parents' divorce.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
I think that I didn't know where to put Renee,
and Renee and Ginger started.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Fighting a lot more. I had to find a way.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
To control my life because I felt very out of control.
So my way of controlling was through controlling food, and
so anorexia is something that I got very into a
dove right in the disease overtook my life for about
four years, and that was the first time that I
really was.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
Sent to a therapist. And talk about not ready to
be helped.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
I mean I was doing things like lying to the
therapist to the extent of putting pebbles in my pocket
because they weigh.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
You every time. And then getting into.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
College, I didn't realize I had narcolepsi, but had narcolepsy,
so I was falling asleep a lot, and my Type
A did not fit well with NARCOLEPSI, Like I would
be so angry with myself, and that's when the darkness
started to get a little deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
That's just a small part of her story. Ginger Z
the keynote speaker for Breaking the Silence this year, the
annual event from Community Alliance. You're listening to Community Matters
and it's a pleasure right now to welcome the production
manager of an annual community event coming up this Saturday,
August twenty third, here in the beautiful metropolis of Dundee,
(14:48):
within the friendly confines of midtown Omaha, where our radio
stations are. It's Eric Kaplan, production manager of Dundee Day.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Eric. It's great to have you on the program.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
It's great to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
What are we doing this Saturday?
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Oh my gosh, We've got you know, I kid around
that I always say, well, this year's the biggest and best,
and I really feel like it is. You know, We've
got We're going to shut down Underwood from forty ninth
to fifty first for an all day street festival and
an evening beer garden and intermixed in that, We're going
to kick everything off with the Dundee Dash five k run,
(15:22):
which will start at fifty first in Underwood, run through
Memorial in Elmwood Parks and come back into Dundee. We've
got the Scout Troop one hundred pancake breakfast starting at
eight am, going into eleven close to if not right
around one hundred and fifty vendors all up and down
the street, including food trucks and community groups, and then
(15:44):
our world famous parade kicks off about ten thirty.
Speaker 7 (15:48):
I think we're looking right now.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
Maybe sixty five entries, So it's gonna be a good
solid hour.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, if you come here anytime starting this Saturday morning,
there's stuff going on.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
You mentioned that five K.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
There are some people that take that very seriously, and
there are some people who wear costumes and they're just
goofing off and having a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
That's what this day.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
Is for exactly.
Speaker 8 (16:10):
It's really I always say it's the best neighborhood festival
in Omaha's best neighborhood. There really is something for everybody.
It's a lot of fun, The weather looks like it's
going to be fantastic, and you know, just it's a
great way to celebrate not just Dundee, but the whole
Omaha community.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So we covered some of the things happening from early
in the morning, and we'll go back over all of this,
which is by the way online at Dundee Day dot org.
That's Donedee Day dot org, not Dundee Days.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
It's one day. Correct.
Speaker 8 (16:40):
We've bounced around, We've had multiple day events, but we
really feel like to bring just a good quality event
to our community.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
We've kept it one day.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
So what happens then as we get later in the
afternoon and into the evening as well.
Speaker 8 (16:54):
So vendors will basically close down around three o'clock. We'll
spend the next hour rec figuring the street, reopening parts
of it, picking up the trash and that kind of thing.
Starting at four o'clock is what we call Dundee Night.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
Used to be the beer Garden.
Speaker 8 (17:09):
We've made it a lot more family friendly, so it's
not just a raucous concert. It's a free admission all ages,
and we have food from all of our you know,
our local Dundee restaurants. We've got beverages of all sort,
and we've got music NonStop from four to midnight.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And you said free admission, obviously, whatever you eat or
can you know, drink to be on you that is.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
And we do ask if you are going to consume alcohol.
We do We do a ten dollars ID check. That's
our fundraiser. It mean, you know, if you're not going
to drink, it doesn't cost you anything to come in.
It means your kids can come in. It also makes
it real easy for the bars that are selling beer
to just look for the wristband. They're not bogged down
with doing id checks.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
That means the lines aren't that long. You just show
your wrist.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
So we'll have a separate table for the wristbands. Ten
dollars and all those proceeds go back into the Dundee community.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, we've got a neighborhood Business Association. There's a neighborhood
community association kind of a thing. There's the community garden,
you know up the street here. It's hard for me
to say it's just up the street. See where on pointing,
So here in Dundee where our radio stations are for
all the iHeartMedia Omaha radio stations. We're about fiftieth in
(18:24):
Underwood and you're closing down from forty ninth to fifty
first Main Street, Dundee, right.
Speaker 8 (18:30):
The business district, and then we'll be about a half
a block north of and south of Underwood on fiftieth Street.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Where should people park.
Speaker 8 (18:37):
Probably the best thing to do is just park in
the neighborhood, following the standard you know, parking rules on
street parking. But that's really the best thing to do.
Park in the neighborhood and stroll up into the business district.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
This is the business district for Dundee. Where do you
see the beginning and end of the Dundee neighborhood because
this stretches down even south of Dodge Street.
Speaker 8 (18:59):
Yeah, we typically like to think that Levenworth is sort
of the southern edge Saddle Creek sort of are you know, Yeah,
Saddle Creek fortieth around there.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
The board exactly when it floods.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
Yeah, north up to gosh probably western okay, maybe around there,
and then west out to uh Jay George that area there.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, I'd say that sounds pretty good here. You've lived here,
as we're talking with Eric Kaplan, he's the production manager
for Dundee Day, which is coming up all day this Saturday,
August twenty third, online at Dundee Day dot org. You've
lived here for how long?
Speaker 7 (19:35):
About fourteen years?
Speaker 9 (19:36):
A little over.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
What do you think is so special about this little
pocket of midtown Omaha.
Speaker 8 (19:42):
It's the it's the small town in a big town, right.
I mean, I know, Omaha is not big compared to
Dallas or la or Chicago or Atlanta, but you know,
it's it's a good sized town. And and Dundee just
represents that little small town community.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (19:58):
You know, you can you can go in to a
restaurant and see people, you know, see your neighbors. It's
a very walkable community. It's a very art friendly community.
And so it's just you know, the lush landscaping, the
old trees make it fun to walk down the sidewalk,
the landscaping and the community within the business district has
been really kept up. And so it just has that
(20:19):
small town field that Norman Rockwell small town field.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
If you where else could you be possibly walking around
and look over and see sitting there on a bench
having ice cream, Warren Buffett and Paul McCarty.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Exactly right, and that just wouldn't happen anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
That's that's done, deep, that's that's us. We're so proud
to be a part of this community. I'm not always
here in the middle of the night, but I know
that anytime any of our people drive up here, and
we've got the big Kfab and glowing red k neeon
atop our building. Anytime the A is out or something,
(20:51):
you know that, we're on the phone immediately like make
sure that's glowing up there. We don't want to make
it a put a blight on the community.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
You know, that's such a part an iconic part of
our business district. You know when you see artists do
renderings of the street, you know, local artists like to
draw the different neighborhoods.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
Those red letters are always in that image.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Well, we appreciate that, and the other radio stations in
the building do not, but we do on the kfab
side of things. But again this Saturday, August twenty third.
All the details at Dundee Day dot org. But Eric
really quickly tell me about some of the high points
people need to hit when they're their first thing in
the morning through the evening.
Speaker 8 (21:30):
Yep, So the Dundee Dash will kick off first thing
in the morning. That's the five k run. The parade
is around ten thirty, Pancake breakfast is eight to eleven.
I think that's seven dollars for adults, five dollars for kids.
That's a fundraiser for the Scout Troop, and then we'll
have the vendor market will be open from eight am
(21:52):
to three pm, and then Dundee Night four pm to midnight.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Do you need to pre register for any of these things,
like the run or the.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Run would be?
Speaker 8 (21:59):
You can pre register for the run. You can go
to our website and there's a link to that, but
you can also do that day of show. One other
thing I did want to mention, as we're growing our
arts impact, we have an event called Dundee Draws that
will start at one o'clock. It's a live drawing competition.
So imagine a dozen artists all around a model and
they're drawing that model live, and you get to see
(22:22):
twelve different artists with their different styles in twelve different perspectives,
and then we have a professional artist that judges it.
Entry for that's on our website as well, and there's
no cost to enter.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I'm embarrassed. I did I already agree to be the
model for this? Oh you didn't ask?
Speaker 8 (22:38):
Oh no no, But if you want, you know, we
can make some We can make pull some strings.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Like a Dolly painting. That's surreal. Yes it is. Who
is our model?
Speaker 8 (22:47):
I don't know we have a specific person, but I
will tell you that really the feature has four legs.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Okay, so ah, very nice, very cool. Any sponsors, we
need to thank you for helping put this on.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
You know, the primary event is presented by Dundee Bank
and Dundee Pediatrics both you know merchants here E Creamery,
Abe sixty six, you know they're part of it. You know,
the US Army is actually a sponsor this year, Dundee Candle.
Really most of the merchants have stepped up to support
the event. We couldn't do it without them.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh yeah, you named a lot of great businesses here
in here, especially abes AB's the gas station. We here
at the radio station couldn't live with the donuts and
coffee and pop and all the stuff that we run
in there. I think during commercial breaks to grab on
a regular.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
They're getting close to fifty years.
Speaker 9 (23:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Well, and we wish Abe himself were still here to
be a part of this. Absolutely, that's what makes this
community special. Dundee Day dot Org. Dundee Day is coming
up this Saturday, August twenty third. Eric Kaplan, production manager
for Dundee Day, Thanks for what you're doing for another
great community celebration here within Omaha. Thanks for telling us
about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
And finally this week on Community Matters, we welcome the
President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Charles Fuschillo, Junior,
joined us here on Community Matters. Charles, it's so good
to have you on the program.
Speaker 9 (24:15):
Well, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
It's good to have you guys back in Omaha as well.
It's been a few years. But coming up next month,
on September seventeenth, there's a free Alzheimer's educational conference right
here in Omaha for Nebraska residents. Please tell me about
this event.
Speaker 9 (24:31):
Sure, it's part of our Educating America tour. It's a
free educational conference which we travel to a different state
and in the country every single month. And on September seventeenth,
from ten am to one pm at Bellevue University, it's
going to be at the Hitchcock Humanities Building. We will
be holding this next month's conference there and we're going
(24:52):
to be talking about Alzheimer's disease, brain health and wellness,
caregiving tips and strategies, and we also have an eldlare
attorney that's going to discuss the importance of early planning.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Absolutely, that is so important. I'm sure in your role
there with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America you've seen some
families that have waited too long to deal with some
of that elder law care you're talking about and the
problems that can cause.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
Right.
Speaker 9 (25:17):
Absolutely, and what we want to encourage families to do
when they're caring for somebody in the early stages is
if they can let them participate in the decision making
process with whether it's respect to financial or healthcare issues.
It's always good to have greater participation from the one
suffering from the disease. But the individuals will also be
able to have a free memory screening at the conference
(25:40):
as well.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Really tell me about the memory screening, so.
Speaker 9 (25:43):
We like to call it a checkout from the neck up.
It's a series of questions that will test your memory,
you're thinking, and your language skills as a baseline score.
If you score above it, we'll make a recommendation you
take this again in one year. If you score below it,
well make us other recommendations. But it's like anything else
to do on an annual basis with your primary care physician,
you get a score, and that's so critically important.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
You know.
Speaker 9 (26:06):
Look, we know what we put in our mouths affects
our body, but it affects our brain as well. So
a memory screening is really important for everybody.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
How do we tell the difference between someone who's in
the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia and someone who's
maybe just a little bit scatterbrained.
Speaker 9 (26:23):
You know, the signs to look for and symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease. Every individual is obviously unique and different, but
if you know if yourself or a loved one or
a friend is suffering from memory loss, confusion about time
and place, difficulty in judging certain situations, and changes in
moods and personalities, it's something that should be addressed immediately.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, absolutely so important, and as is the care that
you're providing for caregivers. Strategies for caregivers, because I think
we've either all been or been around family members from
friends who have been that care giver for a family
member with Alzheimer's, and it's really really hard in some
(27:07):
instances just having the patience to deal with an almost
endlessly sad situation. Tell me about why caregivers need to
be a part of this conference well, because.
Speaker 9 (27:18):
It's both emotionally and physically overwhelming. And one of the
things we always encourage the caregiving team once you know
a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is create
a team because you can't go on this journey alone,
and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America always wants to be
part of that team. We encourage caregivers to take care
of themselves to avoid caregiver burnout, but the support services
(27:40):
are so critically important, and that's what we offer here
at the Alzheimer's Foundation of America with all the programs
and services, but also how licensed social work is at
a dementia specifically trained through our helpline.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This Alzheimer's Educational Conference for Nebraska residents is happening here
in Omaha on September seventeenth. From you said ten am
to one P.
Speaker 9 (28:00):
Right, that's correct and it's free and individuals can just
go to our website at alz FDN dot org backslash
tour to register.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Excellent alz FDN is in Alzheimer's Foundation alz FDN dot
org slash Tour, and that's where you can get all
the details about this event here in Omaha. Now, Charles,
where are you from. You're you're an East coast guy?
Speaker 9 (28:27):
Pardon?
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Are you an East Coast guy?
Speaker 9 (28:29):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (28:30):
All right, because here in Omaha, we're right across the
river from Council Bluffs, Iowa. What if a few interlopers
from Iowa want to be a part of this event,
do we tell them, no, you got to wait for
the event in Des Moines or whatever.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
Well, hopefully they can just come over. I mean, this
is open to this is open to the general public.
It's as they said, it's a free conference and we
encourage a great participation. And you know, we've been traveling
every month throughout the entire country and we've had great participation.
We're expecting the same in Omaha.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I just didn't want our friends over in Iowa to say, hey,
what about us?
Speaker 4 (29:05):
So it's it's.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, we're not welcome that we're not checking license and
registration at the door. And it's coming up on Wednesday, Wednesday,
September seventeenth, ten to one at Bellevue University, al z
f dn dot Org Slash Tour for all the details
about this free event and they are asking you to
get registered for it. Alz fdn dot org slash tour
(29:31):
for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America have been talking here
with their president and CEO, Charles Fascillo Junior. Charles is
so good to have you on the program. Thank you
for what you're doing for people with Alzheimer's and caregivers
in our community, and thanks so much for telling us
about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 9 (29:48):
You're very welcome and thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
This has been Community Matters. Thank you so much for listening,
and enjoy the rest of your day.
This is Community Matters, a weekly public affairs program to
inform and entertain you with some of the great people, organizations,
and events in and around Omaha. Now here's the host
of the program from news radio eleven ten kfab It's Scott.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
For Heats and thank you so much for being a
part of our program. This week, we welcome back to
Community Matters from Community Alliance. Their president and CEO, Aileen
Brady is back here on the program. That means Breaking
the Silence is coming up here. Aileen, welcome back to
Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Well, thank you so much. Scott. I appreciate being on
the show.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
It's one of the more heartwarming events on the calendar
year for Omaha. Breaking the Silence has been going on
for a long time. Before we talk about the event
on Thursday, October ninth at the Holland Center and who
you're bringing in for it, let's talk about why Breaking
the Silence is this annual event in which also dovetails
into what Community Alliance is all about.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Absolutely, yeah, thank you. So this is our twenty ninth year.
It's kind of unbelievable to think it's been going on
that long. But you know, when we think about mental
health and substance choose challenges and the people that we
are serving at Community Alliance. We know that while we've
made good progress on breaking down some of the stigma
and the misunderstanding that goes along, it's still there and
(01:27):
people are still somewhat reluctant to seek out that help
that they need. And you know, there's a lot of
reasons for that, but we want to provide this Breaking
the Silence event to continue to break down the stigma,
continue to break down the misunderstanding about mental illness and
substant use, and encourage people to get the help. So
(01:47):
we're breaking down the silence. We want people to speak out.
We want people to speak up. We want people to
not be embarrassed at all about any concerns that they
have about themselves or loved one.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Seen an age difference in that stigma attached to discussing
mental illness. I've got teenagers and they've got a lot
of friends, and it seems like this conversation is a
lot more commonplace than anything I would have had at
that age, or even at the age I am now
and older.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Yeah, yeah, you're you're right there. There's definitely an age
difference and for the younger group in our community, they're
much more open and much more willing to talk about
how they feel and talk about what they need and
the services that they need, and they're more willing to
seek that out. But when we're talking about, you know,
people in our even forty and above, they're not as willing.
(02:40):
You know, I think the pandemic, if we would to
talk about that, it helped a little bit because more
people experience that loneliness or even some depression during that time.
But there's definitely an age difference and who's willing to
seek out the help they need.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Sure, well, I think some of it comes down to
not knowing what resources or assistance is available.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
If they say, like.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well, I've got some issues I'm working through here, but
I don't know even who to talk to or what
they're going to be able to do to quote unquote
fix me. What does Community Alliance do to assist in
answering those questions?
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Aileen, Yeah, Well, thank you for having me on the
show today, because part of I think the barrier is
that people just don't know where to go, and oftentimes
people may not even think about it till they're in
the need for set services. So having an opportunity like
this to talk about what we do is a great
opportunity and with your listeners. So overall, big picture with
(03:42):
Community Alliance, you know, we are providing mental health treatment
and rehab services for both the mental health and the
subs for people with mental health and substance use challenges.
So that's a whole variety of the traditional outpatient medication
management and counseling and the services there. We also have
a primary care clinic to address the whole person, so
it's an integrated approach to the type of services. We
(04:05):
have a pharmacy here at the organization so people can
see their doctor, get their prescriptions, get their medicine picked up,
all in one location, making it convenient if transportation could
be a barrier. We also have a facility based services
and community based services where we can come to the
home and provide support to that individual and or that family.
(04:28):
And we have employment services to help people get back
to work. So we have a whole host a whole
array of services. All one needs to do is walk
in our door, give us a call, or reach out
to us on our website and ask for help and
we'll talk through what of the services we have may
be a good fit for them, and.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You'll find omahas Community Alliance online at Community Dashalliance dot org.
That's for all the resources. Alien Brady, president and CEO
of Community Alliance, just discuss Community dash Alliance dot org.
That's also where you can click on the Breaking the
Silence tab on that web page and learn about The
(05:09):
twenty twenty five edition of this event coming up on Thursday,
October ninth at the Holland Performing Arts Center downtown Omaha.
Aileen Who is the featured speaker this year, so.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
We're excited to welcome Ginger Z to Omaha this year.
She is the chief meteorologist for Good Morning America. She's
actually the first female chief meteorologist at a major news network,
so we're excited to bring her here. She is a
familiar face with Good Morning America. She also is an
(05:42):
author and has written at least two books. Her first
one was a natural It's called Natural Disaster, I Cover
Them and I Am One. Her second book was a
Little Closer to Home, and both books talk about her
personal experience with depression and experiencing spacificial ideation in her life.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Yeah, I of course have seen her on ABC's Good
Morning in America for years, I you know, and I
know that you hear this a lot as people say, well,
I had no idea that that individual had any issues
with mental illness or anything like that. You know, a
lot of times you don't have any.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Idea, right, right, that's correct, And again Untils, maybe it
triggers an event, has triggered some period of depression, like
a situational depression, or that the symptoms begin to show
themselves at a particular age with a younger person and
maybe their twenties and late twenties, but they often don't
(06:48):
know for sure what they're experiencing when they begin to
feel some of those depressive symptoms or even psychotic symptoms,
So that that's where getting the help, talking to someone
sharing what those symptoms or what those experiences that the
person is having so they can get more accurate information
than an accurate diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I don't see a problem. I'd love your expertise on
this thought here, Aileen. I don't see a problem in
people thinking, wow, I didn't realize that person was dealing
with that, because it can provide hope to people. Is
to say, and it doesn't look like this person's not
dealing with it because they always have it all together,
so to speak. It's because what people deal with is
(07:31):
often manageable on some level, and you have to find
what works for you. So I think that's inspiring that
you can say, Wow, I had no idea that Ginger
Z from Good Morning to America and talking about the
weather across the country had any issues at all.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Yeah, that's exactly right. And so many of the guests
that we've had over the years have come to this event,
and one of the first comments that we hear them
say as we're talking to the individuals that we serve
is I'm just like you and I experience this. But
that hope that they bring of recovery and accomplishment and
(08:08):
being able to just enrich people's lives through their own
talents and skills does most definitely bring that hope back
that I too can achieve that level of recovery.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
And I've had an opportunity to talk with some of
the individuals who have come to Omaha for breaking the silence,
and I think about, you know, some of these actors
I really like Sean Aston is one who was here,
Joey Pants, Joe Pantaliano actually both from the movie Goonies
and two separate years for this event. You know, it's
(08:42):
very interesting to talk with them about their journey. And
I'm wondering now, since you said that this is the
twenty ninth year for breaking the silence, do you have
people of note who are reaching out to Community Alliance
saying I see what you guys are doing in Omaha.
I'm available next year if you need a keynote speaker.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Well, we haven't had that happen, but I wish that
could happen. But we have had amazing speakers over the years,
and you know, I think for the city of Omaha
and the surrounding area they've had a treat every year.
It seems like we get the right guest the right year.
(09:21):
Ginger was actually scheduled for last year and then Hurricane
Milton interrupted her visit to Omaha. So we brought in
Sean Aston's daughter Ali for last year's event, And while
she may not be as well known, she was actually
the third generation of that family who has become a
mental health advocate. Patty Duke is her grandmother, Sean and
(09:44):
her dad, and now Ali is also speaking out about
mental health and promoting increased use of mental health services.
So it's fun to bring her in. We've always had
great guests and Ali was as close as you can.
I'm available, let me come.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
How do you go about tracking down potential keynote speakers?
I'm just reviewing the list to jog my own memory.
It was just a few years ago, the Blossom and
also from Big Bang Theory. My biolic was here in
town for this and just a really Jeffrey tambor I
recognize his name on here. Here's Dorothy Hammel gold medalist
(10:24):
figure skating champion from my youth. How do you go
about reaching out to people and saying would you mind
burying your soul for a room full of people at
our event?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yeah, and that's exactly what we do. Well. We actually
use a variety of services agents that will help us
with the ideal candidate that we're looking for for that year,
and they help us make those initial contacts.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, if you want to be a part of this
year's event, which again is coming up at the Holland
Center downtown Omaha on Thursday, October ninth, go to Community
Dashalliance dot org. What do they need to do? Today
a lane to guarantee that they're there on October ninth.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
So there's a there's a couple of things that can
be done. We certainly do want to invite our community.
This is our annual educational and awareness event. It's also
a fundraiser for us to help continue to support to
many alliances services and programs for the Omaha area. So yes,
community dash Alliance dot org and click on Breaking the Silence.
(11:26):
There's two opportunities. You can purchase a ticket to come
to the event with you are a friend. Also, we
have sponsorship levels that are available and there's still time
to become a sponsor. Those sponsorship levels are also on
our website. We are going to be printing our invitation
here in the next week or two, so we're getting
(11:47):
down to some print deadlines, but sponsorship levels will be
available up through the end of September.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
Excellent community Dashalliance dot org for details. Not only on
Breaking the Silence twenty twenty five Thursday, October ninth at
the Holland Performing Arts Center featuring Emmy Award winning meteorologist
published author from Good Morning to America, Ginger Z will
be here this year, but you can also visit that
website for all of that which Community Alliance does to
(12:19):
find ways to end the stigma associated with mental illness
right here in our community online at Community Dashalliance dot org.
Aileen Brady is President and CEO of Community Alliance. Thank you,
Aileen so much for what you're doing for people here
in our community, and thanks for talking about it on
Community Matters.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Absolutely, and Scott, thank you so much for the opportunity.
It was a pleasure talking to you.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Since we have just a minute or so before our
next guest here on Community Matters, I wanted to give
you a sense of the keynote speaker for breaking the
silence this year, telling just a very small part of
her own story. Here is Ginger Z.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
I think I started struggling with my mental health at
a very young age. I remember thinking there was the
Ginger on the outside, named after the movie star on
Gilligan's Island, and that's who I thought, and I do
think is in my truest self. But then there is Renee,
which is my middle name, and I think I always
thought of Renee kind of like the Beyonce and Sasha
(13:19):
Fear says, like the at home you know sullen.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
I mean what kindergartener is sullen? I think I was.
Speaker 5 (13:25):
I think I had those moments and I knew it.
I knew that that was in me.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Especially after my parents' divorce.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
I think that I didn't know where to put Renee,
and Renee and Ginger started.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Fighting a lot more. I had to find a way.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
To control my life because I felt very out of control.
So my way of controlling was through controlling food, and
so anorexia is something that I got very into a
dove right in the disease overtook my life for about
four years, and that was the first time that I
really was.
Speaker 6 (13:57):
Sent to a therapist. And talk about not ready to
be helped.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
I mean I was doing things like lying to the
therapist to the extent of putting pebbles in my pocket
because they weigh.
Speaker 6 (14:08):
You every time. And then getting into.
Speaker 5 (14:11):
College, I didn't realize I had narcolepsi, but had narcolepsy,
so I was falling asleep a lot, and my Type
A did not fit well with NARCOLEPSI, Like I would
be so angry with myself, and that's when the darkness
started to get a little deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
That's just a small part of her story. Ginger Z
the keynote speaker for Breaking the Silence this year, the
annual event from Community Alliance. You're listening to Community Matters
and it's a pleasure right now to welcome the production
manager of an annual community event coming up this Saturday,
August twenty third, here in the beautiful metropolis of Dundee,
(14:48):
within the friendly confines of midtown Omaha, where our radio
stations are. It's Eric Kaplan, production manager of Dundee Day.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
Eric. It's great to have you on the program.
Speaker 7 (14:58):
It's great to be here. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
What are we doing this Saturday?
Speaker 8 (15:01):
Oh my gosh, We've got you know, I kid around
that I always say, well, this year's the biggest and best,
and I really feel like it is. You know, We've
got We're going to shut down Underwood from forty ninth
to fifty first for an all day street festival and
an evening beer garden and intermixed in that, We're going
to kick everything off with the Dundee Dash five k run,
(15:22):
which will start at fifty first in Underwood, run through
Memorial in Elmwood Parks and come back into Dundee. We've
got the Scout Troop one hundred pancake breakfast starting at
eight am, going into eleven close to if not right
around one hundred and fifty vendors all up and down
the street, including food trucks and community groups, and then
(15:44):
our world famous parade kicks off about ten thirty.
Speaker 7 (15:48):
I think we're looking right now.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
Maybe sixty five entries, So it's gonna be a good
solid hour.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, if you come here anytime starting this Saturday morning,
there's stuff going on.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
You mentioned that five K.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
There are some people that take that very seriously, and
there are some people who wear costumes and they're just
goofing off and having a lot of fun.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
That's what this day.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
Is for exactly.
Speaker 8 (16:10):
It's really I always say it's the best neighborhood festival
in Omaha's best neighborhood. There really is something for everybody.
It's a lot of fun, The weather looks like it's
going to be fantastic, and you know, just it's a
great way to celebrate not just Dundee, but the whole
Omaha community.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
So we covered some of the things happening from early
in the morning, and we'll go back over all of this,
which is by the way online at Dundee Day dot org.
That's Donedee Day dot org, not Dundee Days.
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
It's one day. Correct.
Speaker 8 (16:40):
We've bounced around, We've had multiple day events, but we
really feel like to bring just a good quality event
to our community.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
We've kept it one day.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
So what happens then as we get later in the
afternoon and into the evening as well.
Speaker 8 (16:54):
So vendors will basically close down around three o'clock. We'll
spend the next hour rec figuring the street, reopening parts
of it, picking up the trash and that kind of thing.
Starting at four o'clock is what we call Dundee Night.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
Used to be the beer Garden.
Speaker 8 (17:09):
We've made it a lot more family friendly, so it's
not just a raucous concert. It's a free admission all ages,
and we have food from all of our you know,
our local Dundee restaurants. We've got beverages of all sort,
and we've got music NonStop from four to midnight.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
And you said free admission, obviously, whatever you eat or
can you know, drink to be on you that is.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
And we do ask if you are going to consume alcohol.
We do We do a ten dollars ID check. That's
our fundraiser. It mean, you know, if you're not going
to drink, it doesn't cost you anything to come in.
It means your kids can come in. It also makes
it real easy for the bars that are selling beer
to just look for the wristband. They're not bogged down
with doing id checks.
Speaker 7 (17:53):
That means the lines aren't that long. You just show
your wrist.
Speaker 8 (17:56):
So we'll have a separate table for the wristbands. Ten
dollars and all those proceeds go back into the Dundee community.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, we've got a neighborhood Business Association. There's a neighborhood
community association kind of a thing. There's the community garden,
you know up the street here. It's hard for me
to say it's just up the street. See where on pointing,
So here in Dundee where our radio stations are for
all the iHeartMedia Omaha radio stations. We're about fiftieth in
(18:24):
Underwood and you're closing down from forty ninth to fifty
first Main Street, Dundee, right.
Speaker 8 (18:30):
The business district, and then we'll be about a half
a block north of and south of Underwood on fiftieth Street.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
Where should people park.
Speaker 8 (18:37):
Probably the best thing to do is just park in
the neighborhood, following the standard you know, parking rules on
street parking. But that's really the best thing to do.
Park in the neighborhood and stroll up into the business district.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
This is the business district for Dundee. Where do you
see the beginning and end of the Dundee neighborhood because
this stretches down even south of Dodge Street.
Speaker 8 (18:59):
Yeah, we typically like to think that Levenworth is sort
of the southern edge Saddle Creek sort of are you know, Yeah,
Saddle Creek fortieth around there.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
The board exactly when it floods.
Speaker 8 (19:10):
Yeah, north up to gosh probably western okay, maybe around there,
and then west out to uh Jay George that area there.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Yeah, I'd say that sounds pretty good here. You've lived here,
as we're talking with Eric Kaplan, he's the production manager
for Dundee Day, which is coming up all day this Saturday,
August twenty third, online at Dundee Day dot org. You've
lived here for how long?
Speaker 7 (19:35):
About fourteen years?
Speaker 9 (19:36):
A little over.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
What do you think is so special about this little
pocket of midtown Omaha.
Speaker 8 (19:42):
It's the it's the small town in a big town, right.
I mean, I know, Omaha is not big compared to
Dallas or la or Chicago or Atlanta, but you know,
it's it's a good sized town. And and Dundee just
represents that little small town community.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (19:58):
You know, you can you can go in to a
restaurant and see people, you know, see your neighbors. It's
a very walkable community. It's a very art friendly community.
And so it's just you know, the lush landscaping, the
old trees make it fun to walk down the sidewalk,
the landscaping and the community within the business district has
been really kept up. And so it just has that
(20:19):
small town field that Norman Rockwell small town field.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
If you where else could you be possibly walking around
and look over and see sitting there on a bench
having ice cream, Warren Buffett and Paul McCarty.
Speaker 7 (20:28):
Exactly right, and that just wouldn't happen anywhere else.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
That's that's done, deep, that's that's us. We're so proud
to be a part of this community. I'm not always
here in the middle of the night, but I know
that anytime any of our people drive up here, and
we've got the big Kfab and glowing red k neeon
atop our building. Anytime the A is out or something,
(20:51):
you know that, we're on the phone immediately like make
sure that's glowing up there. We don't want to make
it a put a blight on the community.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
And I'll tell you what.
Speaker 8 (20:59):
You know, that's such a part an iconic part of
our business district. You know when you see artists do
renderings of the street, you know, local artists like to
draw the different neighborhoods.
Speaker 7 (21:08):
Those red letters are always in that image.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Well, we appreciate that, and the other radio stations in
the building do not, but we do on the kfab
side of things. But again this Saturday, August twenty third.
All the details at Dundee Day dot org. But Eric
really quickly tell me about some of the high points
people need to hit when they're their first thing in
the morning through the evening.
Speaker 8 (21:30):
Yep, So the Dundee Dash will kick off first thing
in the morning. That's the five k run. The parade
is around ten thirty, Pancake breakfast is eight to eleven.
I think that's seven dollars for adults, five dollars for kids.
That's a fundraiser for the Scout Troop, and then we'll
have the vendor market will be open from eight am
(21:52):
to three pm, and then Dundee Night four pm to midnight.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Do you need to pre register for any of these things,
like the run or the.
Speaker 4 (21:59):
Run would be?
Speaker 8 (21:59):
You can pre register for the run. You can go
to our website and there's a link to that, but
you can also do that day of show. One other
thing I did want to mention, as we're growing our
arts impact, we have an event called Dundee Draws that
will start at one o'clock. It's a live drawing competition.
So imagine a dozen artists all around a model and
they're drawing that model live, and you get to see
(22:22):
twelve different artists with their different styles in twelve different perspectives,
and then we have a professional artist that judges it.
Entry for that's on our website as well, and there's
no cost to enter.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
I'm embarrassed. I did I already agree to be the
model for this? Oh you didn't ask?
Speaker 8 (22:38):
Oh no no, But if you want, you know, we
can make some We can make pull some strings.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Like a Dolly painting. That's surreal. Yes it is. Who
is our model?
Speaker 8 (22:47):
I don't know we have a specific person, but I
will tell you that really the feature has four legs.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Okay, so ah, very nice, very cool. Any sponsors, we
need to thank you for helping put this on.
Speaker 8 (22:59):
You know, the primary event is presented by Dundee Bank
and Dundee Pediatrics both you know merchants here E Creamery,
Abe sixty six, you know they're part of it. You know,
the US Army is actually a sponsor this year, Dundee Candle.
Really most of the merchants have stepped up to support
the event. We couldn't do it without them.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh yeah, you named a lot of great businesses here
in here, especially abes AB's the gas station. We here
at the radio station couldn't live with the donuts and
coffee and pop and all the stuff that we run
in there. I think during commercial breaks to grab on
a regular.
Speaker 7 (23:37):
They're getting close to fifty years.
Speaker 9 (23:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Well, and we wish Abe himself were still here to
be a part of this. Absolutely, that's what makes this
community special. Dundee Day dot Org. Dundee Day is coming
up this Saturday, August twenty third. Eric Kaplan, production manager
for Dundee Day, Thanks for what you're doing for another
great community celebration here within Omaha. Thanks for telling us
about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 7 (24:00):
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
And finally this week on Community Matters, we welcome the
President and CEO of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, Charles Fuschillo, Junior,
joined us here on Community Matters. Charles, it's so good
to have you on the program.
Speaker 9 (24:15):
Well, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
It's good to have you guys back in Omaha as well.
It's been a few years. But coming up next month,
on September seventeenth, there's a free Alzheimer's educational conference right
here in Omaha for Nebraska residents. Please tell me about
this event.
Speaker 9 (24:31):
Sure, it's part of our Educating America tour. It's a
free educational conference which we travel to a different state
and in the country every single month. And on September seventeenth,
from ten am to one pm at Bellevue University, it's
going to be at the Hitchcock Humanities Building. We will
be holding this next month's conference there and we're going
(24:52):
to be talking about Alzheimer's disease, brain health and wellness,
caregiving tips and strategies, and we also have an eldlare
attorney that's going to discuss the importance of early planning.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Absolutely, that is so important. I'm sure in your role
there with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America you've seen some
families that have waited too long to deal with some
of that elder law care you're talking about and the
problems that can cause.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
Right.
Speaker 9 (25:17):
Absolutely, and what we want to encourage families to do
when they're caring for somebody in the early stages is
if they can let them participate in the decision making
process with whether it's respect to financial or healthcare issues.
It's always good to have greater participation from the one
suffering from the disease. But the individuals will also be
able to have a free memory screening at the conference
(25:40):
as well.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Really tell me about the memory screening, so.
Speaker 9 (25:43):
We like to call it a checkout from the neck up.
It's a series of questions that will test your memory,
you're thinking, and your language skills as a baseline score.
If you score above it, we'll make a recommendation you
take this again in one year. If you score below it,
well make us other recommendations. But it's like anything else
to do on an annual basis with your primary care physician,
you get a score, and that's so critically important.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
You know.
Speaker 9 (26:06):
Look, we know what we put in our mouths affects
our body, but it affects our brain as well. So
a memory screening is really important for everybody.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
How do we tell the difference between someone who's in
the early stages of Alzheimer's or dementia and someone who's
maybe just a little bit scatterbrained.
Speaker 9 (26:23):
You know, the signs to look for and symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease. Every individual is obviously unique and different, but
if you know if yourself or a loved one or
a friend is suffering from memory loss, confusion about time
and place, difficulty in judging certain situations, and changes in
moods and personalities, it's something that should be addressed immediately.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Yeah, absolutely so important, and as is the care that
you're providing for caregivers. Strategies for caregivers, because I think
we've either all been or been around family members from
friends who have been that care giver for a family
member with Alzheimer's, and it's really really hard in some
(27:07):
instances just having the patience to deal with an almost
endlessly sad situation. Tell me about why caregivers need to
be a part of this conference well, because.
Speaker 9 (27:18):
It's both emotionally and physically overwhelming. And one of the
things we always encourage the caregiving team once you know
a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease is create
a team because you can't go on this journey alone,
and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America always wants to be
part of that team. We encourage caregivers to take care
of themselves to avoid caregiver burnout, but the support services
(27:40):
are so critically important, and that's what we offer here
at the Alzheimer's Foundation of America with all the programs
and services, but also how licensed social work is at
a dementia specifically trained through our helpline.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
This Alzheimer's Educational Conference for Nebraska residents is happening here
in Omaha on September seventeenth. From you said ten am
to one P.
Speaker 9 (28:00):
Right, that's correct and it's free and individuals can just
go to our website at alz FDN dot org backslash
tour to register.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Excellent alz FDN is in Alzheimer's Foundation alz FDN dot
org slash Tour, and that's where you can get all
the details about this event here in Omaha. Now, Charles,
where are you from. You're you're an East coast guy?
Speaker 9 (28:27):
Pardon?
Speaker 4 (28:27):
Are you an East Coast guy?
Speaker 9 (28:29):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (28:30):
All right, because here in Omaha, we're right across the
river from Council Bluffs, Iowa. What if a few interlopers
from Iowa want to be a part of this event,
do we tell them, no, you got to wait for
the event in Des Moines or whatever.
Speaker 9 (28:43):
Well, hopefully they can just come over. I mean, this
is open to this is open to the general public.
It's as they said, it's a free conference and we
encourage a great participation. And you know, we've been traveling
every month throughout the entire country and we've had great participation.
We're expecting the same in Omaha.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
I just didn't want our friends over in Iowa to say, hey,
what about us?
Speaker 4 (29:05):
So it's it's.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, we're not welcome that we're not checking license and
registration at the door. And it's coming up on Wednesday, Wednesday,
September seventeenth, ten to one at Bellevue University, al z
f dn dot Org Slash Tour for all the details
about this free event and they are asking you to
get registered for it. Alz fdn dot org slash tour
(29:31):
for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America have been talking here
with their president and CEO, Charles Fascillo Junior. Charles is
so good to have you on the program. Thank you
for what you're doing for people with Alzheimer's and caregivers
in our community, and thanks so much for telling us
about it on Community Matters.
Speaker 9 (29:48):
You're very welcome and thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
This has been Community Matters. Thank you so much for listening,
and enjoy the rest of your day.
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