Dementia Care Workshop for Family Caregivers to be held July 27 in Little Rock

By Ben Boulden

The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, 629 Jack Stephens Drive, Room 1180. A light lunch will be provided. Space is limited, and registration is required. To register, call 501-526-6500 or email DBLeBlanc@uams.edu.

The workshop will cover identifying the caregiver, Alzheimer’s disease and dementias, caregiver health, nutrition, recognizing caregiver stress, benefits of support groups, tai chi for memory demonstration and managing behavioral issues.

Family caregivers include anyone who helps with care, including managing a family member’s medications, talking to doctors and nurses on their behalf, or simply preparing their meals and doing a few household chores.

About 80 percent of Arkansas’ older population who are living in their home depend on family and friends for assistance. Dementia care at home can become more and more challenging. A better understanding of the disease may help families care for their loved one.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.