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A Day's Work is Never Done
Usually, when someone feels strongly enough about a cause to become an advocate for that cause, it's because they have a personal connection to the issue. For Jewel Dallas-Bruner, a vocal advocate for Alzheimer education and caregiver support, the connection to Alzheimer's disease is personal, professional and, at times, all-encompassing.
As a licensed clinical social worker working with Alzheimer's patients and their families; granddaughter of someone with the disease; and daughter of a caregiver, the disease has touched and affected nearly every aspect of the Edmond, Oklahoma, resident's life. Yet rather than discourage or overwhelm her, Jewel says these experiences inspire her and fuel her advocacy efforts.
Jewel's first exposure to Alzheimer's disease came through her work with the Veterans Administration. Back in 1995, she started work at the Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Disorders at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. There, Jewel helped families coordinate care and deal with caregiver stress.
"Back in those days, there was very little information about Alzheimer's disease out there in the community," Jewel recalled. "By the time people came in for help, they were in more of a crisis mode because they didn't know anything about the disease."
Those encounters had a profound impact on Jewel, and she set out to educate as many Oklahomans as possible. She teamed up with the Alzheimer Association Central Oklahoma Regional Office, a branch of the Oklahoma and Arkansas Chapter, and traveled the state leading educational symposiums.
Today, Jewel sits on the Chapter's Board of Directors and is a member of the Association's Oklahoma City Leadership Council. She is also on the faculty of the University of Oklahoma's Department of Geriatrics and is a frequent community lecturer.
But Jewel found it's one thing to educate others on the topic of caregiver stress and support, and quite another to experience it yourself. Jewel found herself in that position a few years ago when her grandmother was diagnosed with the disease and her mother assumed caregiver responsibilities.
"I saw my mother going through those same ups and downs of caregiving, attempting to arrange services, that sort of thing," she said.
After she lost her grandmother, Jewel might have stepped back her outreach and advocacy efforts. But the thought never crossed her mind.
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