November 8, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM PST | Online
 
For centuries, we've known that the health of the brain and the body are connected. But now, science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices that may help you keep your brain and body healthy as you age. Join us to learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.
 
To register, click the button below.

Many factors may influence your risk of dementia, including genes, environment, and lifestyle. You can’t change some factors, but, as with many diseases, there may be steps you can take to help lower your risk. Learn more about how leading a healthy lifestyle is important for your health.
 
To learn more, click the button below.

If you don’t see an aging parent or friend often, changes in their memory and function may seem dramatic. In contrast, a primary caregiver like a spouse might not notice such changes or realize that more help, medical treatment, or supervision is needed. Talk with your loved one and the primary caregiver about your concerns. Consider these conversation tips:

• Avoid sounding critical. Instead, mention your particular worry, and explain why you are asking. For example, “It looks like you don’t have much food in the house — are you having trouble getting to the store?”
• Discuss what you think could be done. Offer practical suggestions and give specific examples of what you can do. For example, “Would it be helpful if I schedule an appointment with the doctor to talk about changes in Dad’s memory?” or “Would you like me to arrange to have groceries delivered on a regular basis?”

Click the button below to find more conversation tips for discussing changes in memory and function from the National Institute on Aging.

September 14, 2022 through November 2, 2022
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST | Online
 
The Dementia Information Series is a comprehensive 8-week series on Wednesday evenings is designed for families who are caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. You can understand the disease, learn how it affects your relative, how to access support in the home and community, how to cope, and how to communicate.
 
Register as early as possible to reserve a spot for this popular education event.
 
To register for this event, click the button below.

September 14, 2022 through November 2, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM PST | Online - FREE
 
The Dementia Information Series is a comprehensive 8-week series on Wednesday evenings is designed for families who are caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. You can understand the disease, learn how it affects your relative, how to access support in the home and community, how to cope, and how to communicate.
 
Register as early as possible to reserve a spot for this popular education event.
 
To register for this event, click the button below.

Caregivers Count 12th Annual Conference
 
Saturdays, September 10 - October 1, 2022, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT | Online
 
The 12th Annual Caregivers Count Conference is tailored specifically for family or informal caregivers who are caring for older adults.
 
The conference will be held for four consecutive weeks, September 10, 17, 24, and October 1. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from informative speakers as well as senior service agencies to learn about supportive services.
 
This year’s conference format will be streamed live via Zoom.
 
Sessions will also be recorded so that caregivers can refer back to them after the conference.
 
EVENT TOPICS:
 
September 10, 2022: Keynote: A Holistic Approach to Self-Care ( Jenn Chan, Senior Shower Project)
 
September 17, 2022: Strategies for Dementia Caregiving (Tami Anastasia, Dementia Caregiver Educator & Trainer)
 
September 24, 2022: Introduction to Long-Term Care (Vanessa Souza, Alzheimer's Association)
 
October 1, 2022: Fall Prevention & Home Safety (Santa Clara County Fire Department; Jenn Schachner, Lecturer @ San Jose State University)
 
To register for this event, click the button below.

September 7, 2022 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM PST | Online
 
This event aims to explain how dementia can affect language and communication. There will be an opportunity to explore the emotional impact of a breakdown in communication / relationships for a carer and the person with dementia and to identify strategies to help establish effective and meaningful interactions.
 
This session is for you if:

• you would like to gain a better understanding of how communication can be affected for a person with dementia
• you would like to learn about different strategies to support a persons ability to communicate and understand
• you want to spend time with experienced healthcare professionals who will answer your questions in a safe, supportive environment
• you would like to meet other people who are taking care of a friend or family member with dementia in a similar situation

 
To register for this event, click the button below.

September 7, 2022 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST | Online
 
Knowing the warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease is important for early detection and diagnosis. Family members often are the first to notice the signs, but may struggle on how to approach their loved one about scheduling an appointment with their doctor. Once they do broach the subject, they may be met with resistance or denial. If a diagnosis is received, the individual and their family may be at a loss for what do next and what to expect for their loved one’s care needs. As professionals, it is important to help older adults and their families navigate life after a dementia diagnosis by providing them with useful information and support. Join this webinar during World Alzheimer’s Month to learn more about what to do next after a dementia diagnosis, what changes to expect and how to best care for someone living with dementia.
 
Participants in this webinar will be able to:

• Review the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of diagnosis
• Discuss what to expect after a diagnosis and what changes are likely to occur
• Learn communication strategies and care tips to best support the individual
• Discover resources for professionals and families for diagnosis, care and support

 
To register for this event, click the button below.

August 31, 2022 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST | Online
 
This program offers clinicians a breakdown of the types and stages of grief that affect caregivers of persons living with dementia. We will discuss how to identify the area of stress that is most burdensome to each particular caregiver and ways to lessen that burden in order to help that caregiver continue to provide optimal care.
 
To register for this event, click the button below. 

The room transformed as an older woman danced around the skilled nursing care unit to rock ’n’ roll hits from her youth. Her husband later took her hands and joined her in a two-step tour of the space. First-year Penn State College of Medicine medical student John Bufalini watched in awe as the couple’s joy filled the room at the assisted living facility. 

August 4, 2022 | 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM PST | Online
 
Conversations with Dr. Tam Cummings - A Monthly Education Series for the Dementia Caregiver

Dr. Tam Cummings will discuss common behaviors witnessed by dementia family caregivers including:

• Cursing
  
• Movement changes
  
• Hunting and gathering
• Accusations of theft
• Taking away the car keys
• Sundowning
• Bathroom issues, including toileting and bathing
  
• Bedtime issues
  

We will also review the five senses which addresses changes leading to potentially dangerous or annoying behaviors. Stress relief tips will be shared, and handouts will include materials to self-measure caregiver stress and self-compassion.
 
Questions can be directed to VirtualSeminars@arden-courts.org.
 
To register for this event, click the button below.

 
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are conducting a research study examining well-being and resource use in dementia caregivers. The aim of this study is to identify and examine the needs of caregivers and the types of resources and support services that would be most beneficial to promote well-being in caregivers.  
 
If you are eligible and agree to participate, you will be asked to complete an online survey lasting 20-30 minutes. Then, you will be given the option to participate in a follow-up phone interview with a member of our research staff. You will be asked to answer some questions about your demographic characteristics, care responsibilities, challenges experienced, and ways you have coped with those challenges. Then, you’ll be asked to answer some questions about your use of community resources, barriers to accessing and using resources, and suggestions for resources that you would be interested in using in the future based on your own personal needs.  
 
You will receive a stipend of $25 for your completed surveys. For those who choose to participate in the open-ended interview, you will be compensated with another $40. 
 
If you have any questions about this survey, please feel free to email Francesca Falzarano fbf4001@med.cornell.edu or call (646)481-2858. 
 
To view the flyer for this study, click the button below.

Brain donation helps researchers study brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, leading to improved treatments for future generations. While many people think that signing up to be an organ donor includes donating their brain, the purpose and the process of brain donation are different. Rather than helping to keep others alive, such as with kidney donation, brain donation helps advance scientific research. One donated brain can make a huge impact, potentially providing information for hundreds of research studies.

Click below to learn more about how you could be the brain behind the breakthrough.

The ABCs of Frontotemporal Dementias

July 7, 2022 | 8:00 AM - 9:15 PM PST | Online

The three domains and subsets of “young persons’ dementia” will be reviewed, allowing family caregivers an opportunity to identify the form of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) their loved one has and what to expect for the future. Often challenging to recognize as a dementia due to the person’s age, the FTDs can cause especially high levels of stress for the family caregiver. This session with Dr. Tam Cummings will address the stages, domains, unique behaviors and decline in persons living with FTD and the impact this disease has on the family caregiver.
 
Questions can be directed to VirtualSeminars@arden-courts.org.
 
To register for this event, click the button below.

One of the defining moments of Karen Bond’s professional career came about five years ago. “For years, I had worked really hard to become president of Executive Alliance,” she said of the nonprofit dedicated to helping professional women succeed in leadership roles.
 
At the time, Bond was taking care of her mother who had dementia along with being a mother to her daughter and having a thriving professional career. “The day of our Women of Excellence luncheon, that I had always dreamed that my mother would be able to be there and see that achievement, was the day that my caregiver didn’t show up and I was scheduled to be in front of a thousand women. I barely got there in time.”
 
Caregiving can be extremely challenging for professional women as many must juggle their careers with motherhood and with their elderly parents/relatives. While home health care aides can help, a majority of women take on the caregiving responsibility themselves.
 
 From: The Daily Record (Maryland)

August 4, 2022 | 8:00 AM - 9:15 PM PST | Online
 
Conversations with Dr. Tam Cummings - A Monthly Education Series for the Dementia Caregiver
 
Dr. Tam Cummings will discuss common behaviors witnessed by dementia family caregivers including:

• Cursing
  
• Movement changes
• Hunting and gathering
• Accusations of theft
• Taking away the car keys
• Sundowning
• Bathroom issues, including toileting and bathing
• Bedtime issues

 
We will also review the five senses which addresses changes leading to potentially dangerous or annoying behaviors. Stress relief tips will be shared, and handouts will include materials to self-measure caregiver stress and self-compassion.
 
Questions can be directed to VirtualSeminars@arden-courts.org.
 
To register for this event, click red button below.

Regular exercise, respite breaks and connecting with others will help you in this challenging role.
“Since my mom was recently diagnosed with dementia, I’ve been confused about what to do,” said the 50-year-old woman at a neighborhood barbecue, balancing a paper plate with a hot dog and potato salad. “Different people give me advice about helping her and making sure I’m all right, but that advice isn’t always the same. I feel like I have to figure this out on my own.”
Her confusion distressed me. There are millions of Americans in her position and tens of millions more who’ve gone through caregiving in the past. No one starting out as a caregiver, in my opinion, should have to reinvent the wheel. Yet when a parent or spouse is revealed to need care, most people feel lost about what to do. My neighbor wasn’t exactly looking for me to give her more advice — it sounded like she’d had her fill already — but was hoping for a hint at least about where to start.

Click the link below to continue reading the entire article by AARP's Barry Jacobs.