Sept. 20 Simulation to Allow Caregivers to Experience Symptoms of Dementia
| Sept. 6, 2016 | The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will host a free event Sept. 20 to simulate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
“The Alzheimer’s/Dementia Experience: Take a Walk in Their Shoes” will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program at 2813 Forest Home Road in Jonesboro. For more information or to register, please call 870-207-7600 or visit www.uamscaregiving.org.
The demonstration will simulate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, including loss of hearing, vision, sensory nerves, fine motor skills and onset of arthritis and neuropathy.
The goal is to increase awareness of the physical challenges and sensory disorders common in people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia so that caregivers and health care providers can become more empathetic. This will enable them to provide care and living arrangements that are more sensitive and suitable for these individuals.
This event is sponsored by the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative at UAMS, part of the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The program improves the quality of care for older adults through education by offering programs for health professionals, first responders, family caregivers and direct care workers.
The UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging serves the needs of an aging generation with the highest standards of research and care. It was established through a 1997 gift of $28.8 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and expanded through a 2009 foundation gift of $33.4 million. Within the institute is the Arkansas Aging Initiative (AAI), created from part of Arkansas’ share of the Master Tobacco Settlement to improve the health of older Arkansans through interdisciplinary clinical care and innovative education programs, and to influence state and national health policy. The AAI created seven Centers on Aging throughout the state to provide senior adults access to quality care within a 60-mile drive from their homes. These centers offer the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program so older adults might have more opportunities to remain at home.