Chris' ARK
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Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation Executive Director, Mary Burton-Hitt, discusses a kit for Alzheimer’s patients called Chris’ ARK (Alzheimer’s Resource Kit). The idea for the kit came from Joanie Tally after caring for her husband, Chris, who was diagnosed with the disease at age 55. Chris Talley was Southeast Missouri Hospital’s Chief Nurse Anesthetist. He died in 2008 at age 68.
The kit is filled with what looks like simple toys, but the soft textures of the items comforts the patient, says Burton-Hitt.
"When they go into the darkness of Alzheimer's, it’s a frightening place," says Burton-Hitt. "If they can sit and have something to focus on it calms them down."
The kits are made possible through grants and donations made to the Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation. They’re free to anybody who needs one.