Dementia & Alzheimer’s Experience Workshop for Family Caregivers to be held June 13 in Jacksonville
| The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is offering a free Dementia & Alzheimer’s Experience: Take a Walk in Their Shoes workshop June 13 in Jacksonville for family members who are providing unpaid care for an older adult with dementia.
The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Jacksonville Community Center, 5 Municipal Drive. Space is limited, and registration is required. To register, call 501-526-6500 or email rcarter@stathomehealth.net. The Alzheimer’s Experience will follow the workshop from 1-3 p.m. at the community center.
The workshop will cover the topics of identifying the caregiver, Alzheimer’s disease and dementias, caregiver health, nutrition, recognizing caregiver stress and managing behavioral issues.
The Alzheimer’s Experience is designed to help caregivers and health care providers better understand firsthand the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It 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, for care providers.
The goal of the event is to increase awareness of the physical challenges and sensory disorders common in persons with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia so caregivers and health care providers can become more empathetic with them. The simulation will enable them to provide care and living environments that are more sensitive and suitable for these individuals.
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.
The Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative at UAMS has provided support for the Alzheimer’s Experience. The workshop is supported by the collaborative and grants from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
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.