I was recently asked to participate in a sponsored campaign by BoomBox Network to support the

With a Song In Their Hearts

More than 1,000 luminaries poured into the ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel which was transformed for the evening into the famous Sardi’s, the 90-year-old New York Broadway theater district’s landmark restaurant, to raise their voices and funds for Alzheimer’s research and programs.

I was on the purple carpet with my video crew as the cavalcade of stars entered the event and we were able to capture the following interviews with some of our favorite celebrities (View the interviews here on the AARP YouTube channel).

More than 15 million Americans are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s and one of the most high-profile dementia caregivers over the last year is Kim Campbell, wife of music legend Glen Campbell. It was the highlight of my evening to talk with Kim and her daughter Ashley about touring for Glen’s final farewell tour to promote his album, Ghosts on the Canvas. Both Kim and her daughter are beautiful blondes who have a glow that comes from within – their positive spirit, strong family bond and hopeful future outlook were obvious while we talked about a diagnosis which can often be devastating for families. They remind all of us what it takes to keep going every day and find the blessings that can come with caregiving.

Kim Campbell, who has been married to her husband for 31 years, recalls the day he was diagnosed, “Glen just released his final studio album and we wanted to go out and promote it when we heard he had Alzheimer’s.  It was hard for him but our kids are his band and we all surrounded him the best we could and he got out there and did it and we had a great time.”

As we talked about how difficult it can be for caregivers of those with dementia to cope emotionally and find time so they don’t neglect themselves Kim advised, “You need to have a support group, you need to have friends and family around you, you need to take care of yourself, you need to get a break from it because it is grueling to the caregiver 24/7.” She continued, “I’ve got this fabulous daughter and two sons that live nearby – it takes a lot of family and friends to juggle so you can have a little freedom to take care of yourself.”

When I asked Kim how she finds her “Me Time,” the former Radio City Music Hall Rockette responds with a sentiment from the Broadway hit, A Chorus Line, which is appropriate for the evening’s theme, “I go to ballet – everything is beautiful at the ballet.”

Ashley Campbell, who is in her early 20s and gets her gorgeous looks from mom and her musical talents from dad, told me she has been touring with her dad since 2009. She plays guitar, banjo and keyboards and it is the highlight of the farewell tour concert to watch Ashley and Glen Campbell play dueling banjo/guitar.

“It’s been quite a ride,” said Ashley.  “To spend time with him is such a gift, especially when you know what’s happening, most people don’t know what’s happening and they take it for granted that their parents are there and with them – I’m just trying to spend every minute with my dad.”

Ashley and dad Glen performing during his 2012 Farewell Tour

At such a young age, Ashley is also acutely aware of the caregiving challenges and how she can help support her mom as part of the caregiving team for Glen.  “I’ve been living at home the last couple of years since my senior year of college to help out my mom because it’s not a one-person job.”  Recently testifying before Congress for more funds for Alzheimer’s research, she also believes caregivers of those with dementia shouldn’t stay in the shadows, “Keep your friends around you and never be ashamed of what’s happening. You should never go through it alone.”

James Keach, who produced the award-winning movie Walk the Line with Joaquin Phoenix playing Johnny Cash and Oscar®-winner Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, spent the last year with the Campbells making a film about Glen’s farewell tour and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He told me, “The experience was life changing. I actually resisted doing a film about Alzheimer’s because I thought this is going to be really depressing but it’s actually turned my whole life around. Glen and his family are so in the moment, so supportive of one another and have really dedicated their life to changing the face of Alzheimer’s in America. I think Glen’s legacy won’t just be music, it will be what he’s done with this journey with Alzheimer’s.”

Ron Howard was on hand to present the Abe Burrows Entertainment Award to his producing partner, Brian Grazer.  After their experience directing/producing the Oscar®-winning film, A Beautiful Mind, both he and Brian became invested in the issues facing those with mental health problems and neurological disorders. “We both share an interest in the mind and how it works – when things are going well and what can be done when something is going wrong.”

As we talked about mental and emotional health for caregivers, Ron shared, “Every family is touched by it, let’s face it and when it strikes a family, no matter how learned the family might be, it resonates in very emotional ways. It’s something to be open about and very ambitious in trying to improve. What we need is knowledge; it can’t be left to families to solve their own problems, particularly when it comes to psychological and neurological issues which are so complicated.”

Jason Alexander is best known as George Costanza from the TV hit, Seinfeld, but his first love is on the Broadway stage, especially musical theater.  “We’re now at that age when we can’t remember where our car keys are and we’re worried, is this the beginning of Alzheimer’s?” said Jason. “We say it jokingly but this is one of those diseases that scares everybody so it would be nice to get rid of it.”

We talked about the power of music to help those with dementia. Jason has seen an older colleague – one of TV’s pioneers struggling with dementia – who knows every word of the songs he used to sing and perks right up when Jason is singing. “It’s a whole spark of life that comes together,” marvels Jason. “Music is an enormously wonderful tool to have in the arsenal to help people going through this.”

Emmy Rossum, stylish, talented young star of TV’s Shameless and a Broadway musical veteran revealed, “This year a friend of mine who is in her early 40s was diagnosed with early on-set and she had to leave her job.  It’s been really hard and she’s here tonight so I’m excited to donate any talents I have to making an amazing evening for everyone here and to raise some money for the charity.”

Big Bang Theory cast on the purple carpet

The main cast of TV’s hit comedy, The Big Bang Theory, has made time to perform at A Night At Sardi’s for the last five years.  This year they brought the house down with their version of Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  The Emmy-winning star of the show, Jim Parsons said about Alzheimer’s disease, “There is no cure yet and it’s very important to keep attention on it until there is one.”

Big Bang Theory cast after performing “Rocky Horror Picture Show”

A sentiment the night’s crowd is dedicated to – seeing an end to Alzheimer’s disease in our lifetime.

As women, we comprise 66 percent of the nation’s 65 million family caregivers.  And studies show caregiving happens typically around age 50.  This is also the same age where our health risks start to occur if we don’t have good habits in place.  For instance, by age 50 the average American has gained approximately 30 pounds.  We also lose ½ inch of bone and muscle mass every year after our 20s, creating more risk for osteoporosis and fractures, especially for post-menopausal women.  Poor nutrition and lack of regular exercise contribute to both of these health problems.

A National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) study on caregiver health risks found 85 percent of the caregivers who reported their health in decline while caring for a loved one are women and stress was the No. 1 complaint.  We know stress impacts our health in numerous ways and according to the CDC accounts for 90 percent of all doctor visits.   In the book So Stressed, two women doctors studied stress impact on women’s health.  They found over the last 100 years, women’s biology has not kept up with technology advancements.  Constantly bombarded by what I call noise pollution – ringing smartphones, chiming texts, email reminders, TV, traffic and tweets – women need to find ways to unplug.

Following are five things the Office on Women’s Health says women should do to improve our health and why caregivers are more at risk than the general population when it comes to following these guidelines:

1.      Get a check-up

An annual mammogram after age 40 is an important preventative factor for breast cancer which strikes 1 in 8 women.  The NAC study found 22 percent of women neglect this annual exam citing no time to get to their own doctor appointments and screenings. Today is National Women’s Check-up Day – use this day to schedule your doctor and dental appointments and screenings (remember a colonoscopy is also recommended after age 50 to detect and prevent colon cancer).

2.      Get active

Getting 150 minutes of cardio exercise a week is optimal – even if you find it in 10 minute bursts.  Stress releases cortisol which can lead to belly fat and increase risk for heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s disease.  Finding ways to relax – meditation, yoga, tai chi – as well as getting heart rates up by moving daily is critical.  Two easy things caregivers can do: park further away from your destination forcing you to walk and achieve the 10,000 recommended steps you should take daily; and take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators.

3.      Eat healthy

Four out of 10 caregivers reported having problems with weight management – either losing or gaining weight while caregiving. Poor nutrition can impact both physical and emotional health.  Finding ways to adopt healthy eating habits is not easy but I recommend caregivers make it fun.  For instance, eating the rainbow daily ensures you are getting colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet for energy and anti-oxidants. Also carry healthy snacks in your purse such as almonds or fiber bars to avoid giving into a french fry frenzy or ice cream meltdown.

4.      Pay attention to mental health

NAC found 9 in 10 caregivers who felt their health declined while caring for a loved one reported depression.  In a recent UCLA study, one-half of all caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s reported dealing with depression.  And the CDC released a report last week stating boomer suicide rates increased 28 percent. The poor economy, jobless rate and caring for older parents were cited as possible contributing factors. Whether it is a support group, professional counseling, prescriptions for anti-depressants or bibliotherapy (writing in a journal), finding ways to deal with caregiver depression is essential – especially since a study in Sweden found that psychological stress in mid-life can lead to dementia later in life.

5.      Banish bad habits

Ten percent of caregivers reported turning to bad habits to cope with stress – smoking, drinking too much alcohol or misusing prescription drugs.  Almost four in 10 caregivers also report insomnia yet sleeping a solid eight hours is one of the best things you can do to improve your health.  Lack of sleep can cause weight gain, create frayed nerves and impact mental acuity – in an Australian study less than 5.5 hours of sleep a night was equivalent to .05 blood alcohol level.

Back to My Fitness Future @50

When I was a kid, the local YMCA was my home away from home.  I took gymnastics classes there along with tons of other little girls hoping to become the next Nadia Comaneci.  Tuesday nights were our family night at the Y – me in gymnastics, my younger brother enrolled in judo, my dad playing in pick-up games on the basketball court and my mom taking a women’s exercise class.

Recently, the YMCA announced 50 Moving Forward, a new program in partnership with Pfizer.  The program embraces many of the principles upon which the YMCA was founded over 170 years ago – a holistic approach to fitness embracing Christian teachings of body, mind and spirit. Offering physical activities geared to 50-somethings, vaccinations and health screenings, nutritional counseling and social interaction, the program’s mission is to provide boomers with tools and a home where health and wellness are a priority.  The physical activity classes include yoga, retro cycle classes pedaling to ’60s and ’70s tunes and other “fun” activities that don’t feel like going to a gym.

When I talk to caregivers across the country about health and wellness, I advise them to tap into their inner child to find their Me Time Monday. Jim Kauffman, YMCA national director for health and well-being, said the 50 Moving Forward program is much the same.

“For a lot of boomers, the Y was about childhood and having fun,” says Kauffman.  “Our 50 Moving Forward program invites boomers back to enjoy the activities they did in their youth.  If you took tap class, we have adult tap dancing classes.  It’s about playing and benefiting from the physical outlet of that play.”

Looks like I may have to squeeze back into a leotard and try some backflips.  On second thought, I think I’ll stick with my yoga pants and top and stay with downward facing dog pose.

Find the Me Time Monday program and more caregiver health and wellness information and tips in Snelling’s book, A Cast of Caregivers – Celebrity Stories to Help You Prepare to Care.

Sherri Snelling’s blog about how caregivers can help aging parents find the best alternative senior living arrangement on the first try appeared on Forbes and originally was published on Next Avenue.  Read the full articles which include 5 Tips on how to best plan for moving your loved one into their new home.

May marks National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month and few celebrities are as passionate about raising awareness for this disease than the

Sherri Snelling spoke to Marg about how she is stepping into the spotlight as a champion for those living with MS, a disease which claimed her father’s life almost 25 years ago when Marg was just starting her acting career.

Marg Helgenberger sounds as strong and in charge as she did playing Catherine Willows, the independent single mom and forensic crime scene analyst on CBS-TV’s top-rated drama series, CSI.  However, as we talk about her recent work to bring awareness and support to those suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) and how this disease impacted her dad and her whole family, the vulnerability of youth and past painful memories resonates in the voice of this ageless actress.

In the 1980s, Marg was still a college co-ed at Northwestern University with a future full of promise when she got the call that her father had a devastating chronic illness.  Marg thinks back about that day and the five years that her father struggled with MS.

“My dad was a young man when he was diagnosed with MS – he was so full of life and to see this disease overpower him in such a short time was really sad and devastating,” says Marg.

Marg grew up in America’s heartland, a small Nebraska town where fields, farms, family and friends abounded.  Her close knit clan included an older sister, her younger brother and her parents.  Her mom was a nurse and her dad, Hugh, owned a butcher shop.  At first, her father originally attributed the tingling and numbness in his arm to his physically intensive job lugging sides of beef around and constantly chopping and cutting – he thought he just had a pinched nerve.  However, as the symptoms progressed and persisted, he was eventually given the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) – and the prognosis could not have been worse as it was an extremely rare and progressive type of MS.

Multiple sclerosis is one of the numerous chronic illnesses for which there is still no cure, although according to the Nancy Davis Foundation recent research is encouraging.  Today, more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million people worldwide live with this insidious disease that attacks the central nervous system.  Essentially, the myelin, which is the protective covering for the nerve fibers in the central nervous system, become inflamed or damaged and through this inflammation the myelin becomes scarred, thus forming sclerotic patches.   These multiple scars or lesions cause interference with the transmission of signals to the brain and spinal cord that then cause the unpredictable and often debilitating symptoms that MS patients experience such as numbness or tingling in the extremities to periods of blindness and even full paralysis.

Twice as many women as men are diagnosed with MS, and it is typically uncovered when patients are 20-50 years old.  While researchers feel there may be genetic predictors for MS, there is no clear connection that one generation passes it to another.  In fact, research has not shown any significant findings on how and why certain people are afflicted with MS.  What they do know is that no two people experience MS in the same way – some patients may experience some or most of the symptoms and may have periods of full recovery.  However, because the disease is not curable, it is a progressive and degenerative disease of varying degrees.

Most patients fall into one of four categories:  1)  Relapsing/Remitting (the most common with 85 percent of MS patients in this category where you have flare-ups with periods of remission); 2)  Primary/Progressive (continuous worsening of the disease with no flare-ups or remissions); 3)  Secondary/Progressive (begins as relapsing/remitting but if untreated becomes primary/progressive); and 4)  Progressive/Relapsing (the most rare with continuous decline and increasingly intense flare-ups).

Marg’s father had Progressive/Relapsing MS and was diagnosed when he was only 45 years old.

It Takes A Village

Marg remembers this time as very challenging for her family.   Her mom had just recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy when Marg was a junior in college.  Now just a year later, the family was hit by the news of her dad’s disease.  In the 1980s they did not have the therapies and medications for MS that they do today.  Marg remembers going with her mom and dad to the hospital where he would get corticosteroid shots that would leave him relieved from some of the pain but bloated, unable to sleep and miserable.

It was during this period that Marg decided she wanted to pursue an acting career and the Big Apple was where she had to be.  However, she says she felt guilty over not staying in Nebraska to help her mom care for her dad.  So often, family members in Marg’s position give up their dreams.  But, Marg’s parents were supportive of their daughter and encouraged the pursuit of her acting passion in New York.

As Marg’s career took off, she landed a key role on the TV soap opera, Ryan’s Hope, and began appearing on popular primetime TV shows like Spencer for Hire and China Beach.   Meanwhile her dad’s symptoms continued to worsen.  Originally he was able to get around with a cane but he quickly became wheelchair-bound and could no longer work.  Since her mom had to continue her job as a nurse to make ends meet, her father was often home alone.  One day his wheelchair got jammed as he tried to get around a hallway corner and he was stuck there for hours.  That is when the family hired a professional health care worker to provide home care for Marg’s dad while her mom was at work.  With money tight, Marg, her mother and her brother formed a caregiving tag team with her mom and brother performing the physical care and Marg providing a lot of the financial resources.  Marg also tried to get home as many weekends as her job would allow.

It was during this period that Marg said she really appreciated her small town, rural America upbringing.  The head of the local Jaycees (also known as the United States Junior Chamber), a civic organization for leadership training for those ages 18-41, contacted Marg and said they wanted to hold a fundraiser to buy a wheelchair-equipped van for her dad and family.  They were able to raise enough funds that Marg could match the amount they raised and they could purchase the vehicle.

“It really struck me as so sweet and that there is such a power of community when someone is in need,” says Marg.

It was this experience that planted the seed of inspiration in Marg to become a champion to help others.  While her acting career continued to soar with roles in TV (Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, The Tommyknockers) and films (Erin Brockovich, Mr. Brooks), she also became a passionate advocate for breast cancer awareness and fundraising, hosting an annual golf tournament in her home state to fund breast cancer treatments and research at the local Omaha hospital.

She told me that “not a day goes by that I don’t think about my dad,” and now her advocacy is bringing more awareness to finding a cure for MS.

“While I am so proud of the progress made in breast cancer treatments and the small role I could play in helping people, multiple sclerosis just doesn’t get the kind of attention as other diseases so I want to shine a spotlight on this disease which is so devastating for families,” says Marg.

She will be in the spotlight in support of MS awareness on May 18 and I know whatever role Marg takes on – actress, advocate, caregiver – this star will continue to shine at whatever she chooses.

Watch Marg’s interview from the Race to Erase Event

This blog is adapted from Sherri Snelling’s book, A Cast of Caregivers – Celebrity Stories to Help You Prepare to Care. To read more of Sherri’s interview with Marg, click here to buy the book now.

See the latest interview in the series below or click here to read all the interviews.