3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehiclesMan arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosenâs Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
LEHIGH ACRES 3 charged for major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles Three men, one from Lehigh Acres, has been charged for their role in a major theft organization targeting luxury vehicles.
port charlotte Man arrested for DUI after slamming into Port Charlotte home’s garage The North Port Police Department has arrested a man accused of DUI and crashing into a Port Charlotte home’s garage.
CAPE CORAL New information on nurse accused of starving premature baby New information has been released about what happened behind closed doors when a nurse allegedly starved a premature baby.
BONITA SPRINGS World’s largest bounce castle to spring into Bonita Springs The Big Bounce America, the world’s largest inflatable bounce castle is set to appear in Bonita Springs.
palmdale Gatorama owner bitten during alligator feeding show Gatorama owner Allen Register was sent to hospital after being bitten by an alligator during a feeding show.
CAPE CORAL Man accused of Cape Coral DUI accident with serious injuries A man has been arrested after allegedly causing an accident with injuries while driving under the influence in Cape Coral.
wink news Web Exclusive: Rachel Cox-Rosenâs Construction Heads Up As construction may dampen your commute, WINK News traffic anchor Rachel Cox Rosen knows the best way to traverse the roadways in this web-exclusive feature.
the weather authority Another warm afternoon for your Tuesday plans The Weather Authority is tracking a warm Tuesday afternoon with stray rain showers expected in our inland communities.
NORTH FORT MYERS Cape Coral man faces 16 charges after fleeing multiple traffic stops Marcus Selby, 24, is facing multiple charges after a dramatic series of events involving Cape Coral police and Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents brace for traffic surge with new advisory and app aid Sanibel residents are bracing for increased traffic as the city issued a “heavy traffic advisory” for the entire week.
FGCU FGCU’s Casey Santoro battles back from Achilles injury FGCU women’s basketball player Casey Santoro is back on the floor after suffering an Achilles injury a season ago.
BABCOCK RANCH Heaviest Florida panther ever recorded located in Babcock Ranch Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists recently captured and collared the heaviest Florida panther ever recorded.
Lee County deputies using VR for safe high-risk training scenarios The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has taken a significant step forward in training by incorporating virtual reality technology.
NAPLES FC Naples signs local soccer star Joffre followed his dream across continents after graduating from Gulf Coast. Now he’s back on the professional soccer pitch in his hometown.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach businesses face floodplain compliance deadline Fort Myers Beach’s businesses face pressure to comply with floodplain regulations or leave the island by March 1.
Mary Radnofsky, diagnosed with a rare form of leukoencephalopathy and in the early stages of dementia, holds her service dog Benjy at her home, on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, in Alexandria, Va. Faced with an aging American workforce, U.S. companies are increasingly navigating delicate conversations with employees suffering from cognitive declines or dementia diagnoses, experts say. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf) Faced with an aging American workforce, companies are increasingly navigating delicate conversations with employees grappling with cognitive declines, experts say. Workers experiencing early stages of dementia may struggle with tasks they had completed without difficulty. Historically punctual employees may forget about scheduled meetings. And those who have traveled to the same office day after day, sometimes for years on end, may begin to lose their way during their morning commutes. âIâve talked to a number of families where a person didnât realize they had the disease and they didnât know what was going on. And they got fired for performance issues before anyone knew what the diagnosis was,â says Ruth Drew, the director of information and support services at the nonprofit Alzheimerâs Association. Drew also oversees the organizationâs 24-hour help hotline. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the number of U.S. workers between the ages of 65 and 74 will balloon 55 percent between 2014 and 2024, with 86 percent growth for the working population over 75. Itâs that 65-and-up age group thatâs most likely to face dementia diagnoses, though early-onset symptoms can afflict younger people. And even though studies show the rate of dementia diagnoses has actually fallen in recent years, the sheer number of older U.S. workers expected to remain in the workforce has increasingly left employees and employers wrestling with the prospect of dementia in the office. âAnd itâs not just managing missed deadlines. Itâs about managing their frustration with everything thatâs changing,â says Sarah Wood, director of global work-life services at Workplace Options, a North Carolina-based consultation and training organization. âIf this person has been a dependable employee for 40 years and is now missing meetings, theyâll be beating themselves up over this.â The Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees certain rights and workplace accommodation, covers individuals with Alzheimerâs diagnoses and certain other forms of dementia depending on the employeeâs position and level of impairment. âThe trick is figuring out what tasks they can still perform and what they can still do safely to continue to contribute,â Wood says. Possible accommodations might include issuing written instructions rather than verbal commands, or reassigning a heavy machine operator or employee to a desk job, says David Fram, director of Americans with Disabilities Act and equal opportunity services at the nonprofit National Employment Law Institute. He notes that employers cannot simply fire an employee solely because of a disability or dementia diagnosis if that person can still perform certain job requirements. âThe next question is whether theyâre qualified for their job. And thatâs the tougher point, depending on how advanced (the dementia) is,â he says. âPeople have to do the essential functions of the job.â This creates a delicate balance between employer and employee. For some, disclosing dementia to an employer could open the door to workplace adjustments. For others, thereâs fear of stigmatization or even termination. Mike Belleville, 57, a former telecommunications technician at Verizon now living in Bellingham, Mass., was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2012. He said receiving his diagnosis âwas almost like, âHey, hereâs whatâs wrong with me. And hereâs the reason why Iâve been messing up.ââ Belleville says his âahaâ moment came when his performance began to slip and younger colleagues he initially trained began coaching him through his job. He says he wouldnât have had access to certain benefits like short-term disability insurance had he not fully disclosed his condition to his employer. His supervisors eventually scaled back his hours and reduced his workload, allowing him to work several months with a regular salary before going on disability leave. âIf youâre driving a semi cross-country and you keep getting lost, OK, you shouldnât be doing that. But could you work in the loading dock? Could you have a desk job? What are the ways we can accommodate people so that they can continue contributing meaningfully to society?â asks Al Power, an internist and geriatrician who has extensively researched and written about dementia. After initially being misdiagnosed, Mary Radnofsky, 60 and a former professor now living in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, learned she had a rare form of leukoencephalopathy, which caused minor strokes, seizures and cognitive impairment. Her worsening condition led her to step away from her teaching career at the University of Hawaii in 2011, even before her official diagnosis. âApparently I âlookedâ healthy both on paper and in person, had a very good education, and was âtoo youngâ to have dementia,â she says. Early dementia symptoms often mirror other ailments that may impair cognitive function, or even other types of dementia. Belleville, for example, was initially diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimerâs before doctors recognized his condition as Lewy body dementia. Muddling matters further are instances in which patients plead with their doctors to run more tests or cushion the severity of their symptoms in medical reports, says Rod Blough, a former human resources executive at Luxottica who at 58 years old was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimerâs disease and Lewy body dementia. âIf a patient is adamantly opposed to having a certain diagnosis, they might be able to influence a certain doctor not to put that language into their medical record. And that can help you on the employment side,â he says. âIf your employer wants to see medical documentation, you can show them papers that suggest youâre still well enough to work.â Blough notes that this may not be the best option for employees long-term, considering their access to Social Security Disability and other resources will be influenced by possibly inaccurate medical documentation. But he says dementia sufferersâ decisions about whether to remain in the workforce are often very personal. Power, the geriatrician, suggests that the U.S. is âstill in denial in terms of public policyâ related to the aging workforce and supporting employees with dementia. And that, he says, has placed a âgreater burden on society.â âI donât think people have gotten their heads around how to respond to this rapidly aging population,â he says. âWe should have been planning for this 30 years ago.â ___ EDITORâS NOTE â Andrew Soergel is studying aging and workforce issues as part of a 10-month fellowship at The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which joins NORCâs independent research and AP journalism. The fellowship is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation