Free Dementia Care Workshop for Family Caregivers to be Held Feb. 7 in Little Rock
| LITTLE ROCK – A free family caregiver workshop, “Dementias,” will be offered Feb, 7 in Little Rock for those who would like to learn about caring for an adult with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. The workshop is presented by the UAMS Schmieding Caregiver Training Program.
The workshop, which is open to the public, will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Room 1180, 629 Jack Stephens Drive in Little Rock. A light lunch will be provided. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 501-526-6500 or email dbleblanc@uams.edu.
Taught by UAMS’ Donna LeBlanc, M.S.N., APRN, the workshop will present an overview of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and cover such topics as the caregiver burden and expectations, support groups, communication techniques and tai chi.
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 still 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.
This program is supported by the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC). The AGEC is funded through a grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program.
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. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. 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.