Dementia often brings about changes in behaviour and communication, which can dramatically affect family caregivers. That’s why the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. is running its free Family Caregiver education in Vernon this week.
The workshop, scheduled for Friday, provides practical coping strategies for family members who are caring for a person with dementia.
“It is through education that caregivers understand the disease and learn effective strategies to deal with changing communication and behaviours,” says Carly Gronlund, the society’s support and education coordinator for Vernon and the North/Central Okanagan. “With this new understanding caregivers become empowered and they are ultimately more resilient on the dementia journey.”
Topics include:
n Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
n Effective and creative ways of facilitating communication with a person with dementia.
n Self-care for the caregiver.
n Planning for the future.
The one-day workshop runs Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The People Place, 3402- 27th Ave. Pre-registration is required. For information and to register, contact Gronlund at 250-860-0305 (toll-free 1-800-634-3399) or cgronlund@alzheimerbc.org.
The workshop is free, thanks to partial funding by the Province of BC, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., Pfizer Canada Inc., Seacliff Foundation, Lohn Foundation, Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation, Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation and through the contributions of individual donors.
For more information on Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and resources for coping with their impact, see www.alzheimerbc.org
