All are welcome to a short presentation, followed by a question and answer period, about Alzheimer’s Disease on Sept. 9 at Broad Bay Congregational UCC.  A free, optional  light lunch will be offered at 11:45 a.m., and the approximately hour-long program will start at 12:15 p.m.

Rev. Phillip McKean of Cushing and Claremont, Calif., will speak on “Remembering and Forgetting: Changing Times and Sacred Times in Experiencing Alzheimer’s.” McKean says he will talk about how “our memories are quite a gift, and also perhaps an overrated gift.”

McKean’s wife, Deborah, a deacon in the Episcopal Church, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015.  With her memory increasingly failing, the McKeans checked into many medical possibilities and, says McKean, he may have been in a state of denial, as he continued to hope for a different medical reason. Since being accepting of the diagnosis, McKean said, he and his wife have found wonderful support in both Maine and California.  He will share about his experiences in creating a life as “a care companion” with his mission of helping his wife “live as full a life as she can in the present.” Deborah McKean is participating in clinical trials, and her husband also will speak briefly about those. 

The presentation will be followed by a time to ask questions and share information. Printed material from the Alzheimer’s Association and the Maine chapter will be available.  Broad Bay Congregational UCC is located at 941 Main St.