April 28, 2010 at 11:38 pm

My name is Heidi Franz-Hoyt and I am a student at Marist College. I am
pursuing my Masters degree in Communications: Organizational Communication and Leadership. I have completed all of my coursework and I am now focusing on the final stages on my thesis titled: The Use of Social Support by Spouses of Alzheimer’s Patients to Improve Communication. I am almost finished with my research; however, I am currently looking for more participants who would be willing to answer a quick survey. My hypothesis is that using social support can help the spouses deal with the stresses that come with caring for an Alzheimer’s patient and that using some form of social support can also facilitate and enhance the communication between the spouse and the Alzheimer’s patient.

This research is very near and dear to my heart since my father was
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in late 2003. Sadly he passed away on June 22, 2009. I have witnessed how this disease has not only affected my father but also my mother and our family. I believe that using some type of social support system enables the spouse to better understand the disease and be able to communicate with the Alzheimer’s patient without getting frustrated.

I am writing to see if you know of any spouses of Alzheimer’s patients
that might be willing to participate in my study. I would need spouses to
answer a quick 12 question survey for my research. This can easily be done through e-mail.

If there is anyone willing to participate, please let me know.

Thank you for your consideration,
Heidi Franz-Hoyt
heidifranzhoyt@gmail.com