NYS-Balance is a free, confidential resource and referral service. You can call a NYS-Balance consultant anytime to find available resources nationwide for anyone in your family.

Each month, NYS-Balance features a new topic on the website. A corresponding webinar, multiple online resources, and free educational materials can be accessed anytime by calling the toll-free number, (866) 320-4760 (TTY/TTD (866) 228-2809), or by logging in to the website at www.nysbalance.ny.gov. The username is nys and the password is balance.

• The NYS-Balance topic for October 2015 is Heads Up – Tips for Better Brain Health. The corresponding monthly webinar, Know the 10 Signs, will be offered on Thursday, October 15, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. To register, log in to www.nysbalance.ny.gov (username: nys and password: balance) where you will find the registration link in the center of the homepage. You must register in advance. If the time of the live webinar does not coincide with your approved lunch or scheduled break time, you can access the archived webinar from home or during another lunch or scheduled break time approved by your supervisor.

• Understanding Dementia. Dementia is a generic term that is used to describe a variety of symptoms of brain failure. It is a disorder that affects a person's ability to think, move, reason, and remember. There are many causes of brain failure or dementia. To learn more about the causes, type Dementia into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the NYS-Balance homepage, scroll down to Articles, and click on Understanding Dementia.

• What Can You Do To Protect Your Brain? While the thought of diminished brain health is frightening, there is something you can do about it! See what you can do about it now by typing Brain Health into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the NYS-Balance homepage, scroll down to Articles, and click on What Can You Do To Protect Your Brain?

• Practical Strategies in Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer's/Dementia. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia can be rewarding and frustrating at the same time. In this online seminar, learn how Alzheimer's and dementia change behavior and develop effective strategies to use in responding to those changes. Type Dementia into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the NYS-Balance homepage, scroll down to Online Seminars, and click on Practical Strategies in Caring for a Loved One With Alzheimer's/Dementia.

• Alzheimer’s Disease Quiz. How savvy are you about Alzheimer’s? To take this quiz and see how much you know, type Brain Health into the search box in the upper right hand corner of the NYS-Balance homepage, scroll down to Resources, and click on Alzheimer’s Disease Quiz.