Surviving the Challenge of Alzheimer’s & Dementia

Caring for loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia can be a difficult and demanding responsibility for caregivers. Understanding these diseases can help both caregiver and patient. Through a grant from Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES), Hallmark Health Visiting Nurse Association is sponsoring a caregiver expo entitled “Surviving the Challenge of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Tools for Successful Care Giving” on Saturday, October 23, at the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield. The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., is designed to educate caregivers about Alzheimer’s and dementia and to offer suggestions on how to deal with the challenges that the diseases bring.

“More and more caregivers face struggles in handling Alzheimer’s and dementia. This expo will give these people a chance to learn about the diseases. The feeling is that the more you know, the better equipped you’ll be in coping with the daily caregiving tasks of helping a loved one,” said MVES Caregiver Support Coordinator Kathy Learned.

The day will start with registration and a continental breakfast from 8 to 9:00 a.m. During this time, vendors and agencies that deal with caregiving issues will be available to answer questions and offer educational materials. Breakfast is followed by three workshops. These sessions present numerous topics.

Workshop 1 - 9 to 10 a.m.

“New Developments in Alzheimer’s disease” Speaker: Andrew E. Budson
"Legal Issues in Care giving.” Speaker: Stephen Spano

Workshop 2 - 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
“Using Music as an Alternative Language” Speaker: Joan Butterfield Whitcomb
“Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease” Speaker: Robert C. Green
“Making the Home Safer for a Person with Memory Loss” Speaker: Kathy J. Horvath

Workshop 3 - 11:30 to 12:30 p.m.
“Activities Make the World Go Round” Speaker: Ann Marchetta
“Protecting Your Nest Egg” Speaker: Stephen Spano
“The Power of Music: A Musician’s Journey Caring for his Parents with Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia” Speaker: David Currier

The caregiver expo concludes with keynote speaker Joanne Koenig Coste, the author of Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s, at 1:30 p.m. followed by motivational speaker and humorist Carol Ann Small’s speech, “If I Only go Around Once in Life, Why am I Dizzy? Laughter with a Lesson” from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

If you would like to attend this event or would like more information, please contact Kathy Learned, MVES Caregiver Support Coordinator, at (781) 324-7705 or Hallmark Health VNA at (781) 338-7903.