UAMS’ Schmieding Center to Host Oct. 29 Dementia Conference for Family Caregivers
| FAYETTEVILLE — Family members and others caring for a loved one with dementia are invited to a free Dementia Conference for Caregivers on Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education, 2422 N. Thompson St., in Springdale.
The conference runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with registration opening at 9:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided.
The conference is designed for caregivers and the general public rather than healthcare professionals. Attendees will hear from a local author, an occupational therapist, and a grief coach, then put their own questions to a panel of dementia specialists.
“The Dementia Conference is an opportunity for caregivers to learn information and tips and techniques that they might not have known before, as well as a chance to connect with experts and other caregivers,” said Brandi Schneider, LMSW, director of aging services and administration at the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education, part of the UAMS Centers on Aging in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. “We all do better when we know better, and the conference is a great step towards connecting with community resources and knowledge.”
The day opens with Eureka Springs author Pam Johnson, a dementia care expert who has written books for caregivers. She will lead “Coping with Guilt and Other Emotions.”
Anna Harris, OTD, OTR/L, with the Medical University of South Carolina occupational therapy doctoral program, follows with “Home Safety Considerations for Individuals Living with Dementia.”
After lunch, Alison Nail-Malone, an end-of-life doula and grief coach, will present “Caregiver Grief and Loss: Grieving Someone Who Is Still Here.”
An “Ask the Experts” panel will then take questions from the audience. Panelists are:
- Randy Shinn, M.D., Washington Regional Senior Health
- Steven Gemmell, M.D., Washington Regional Memory Disorders Clinic
- Brandi Schneider, LMSW, Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education
The conference closes with a demonstration of Memory Lane Games, an app developed in the United Kingdom that is being piloted in Arkansas. Led by Jay Vogler, LSW, of the Schmieding Center, the demo will show how caregivers can use the app’s quizzes to start conversations with their loved ones.
Resource vendors will be on site during the lunch hour so attendees can learn about services available to caregivers in the region.
The conference is free, but registration is required. To register, visit aging.uams.edu/uams-caregiving/scshechp/.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a 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 the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,030 medical residents and fellows, and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###