Description

As dementia continues to rise in epidemic numbers, so too, does the challenge of providing competent care to those most impacted. It is therefore vital to understand the implications this disease has on grief, loss, and relationships, and how to compassionately support people living with dementia and their care partners. Being aware of the role that palliative care can play in supporting people living with dementia and their families is another important aspect that this workshop will address.

Description

This workshop is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about the difference between normal aging and dementia. It will identify the most common forms of dementia, and shed light on how dementia can affect our brains, abilities, and influence our behavior. The program focuses on common emotional struggles that many care partners face, and how to cope with difficult feelings in a healthy fashion. It will additionally explore strategies to manage caregiver stress, as well as the art of accepting assistance from others so that you are not only able to take better care of your loved ones, but also of yourself.

Description

Drawing on over twenty years of experience working with patients and families facing a wide variety of life-limiting illnesses, this workshop will address how hospice and palliative care professionals are uniquely trained and positioned to provide timely and compassionate services to people living with dementia and their families. It will discuss how the knowledge and expertise that we develop through our specialized work not only benefits the people we serve, but also enables us to become more resilient people in the process. The presentation will help to explore the valuable lessons that we can all glean from people living with dementia in order to become more tolerant, accepting, and mindful human being ourselves.

Description

This workshop provides an in-depth view of the most common brain changes that are caused by dementia and how they directly impact the person living with this challenging disease in terms of changes in memory, vision, communication, functional abilities, independence, and self-care. It also highlights the role of professionals in recognizing symptoms of dementia in the clients they care for and how to support family care partners in the home.

Description

This workshop provides a brief overview of what dementia is and the most common kinds of dementias that impact the majority of people who have a dementia diagnosis. It discusses the role of anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss in dementia care, the profound impact that this disease can have on relationships, and how to support caregivers in your community.

Description

This workshop addresses the critical importance of timing in Advance Care Planning when working with people living with dementia and their families. Advance care planning (ACP) is an ongoing process in which patients, their families, and their health care providers reflect on the patient’s goals, values, and beliefs, and discuss how they should inform current and future medical care.

Advance care planning is the vitally important process by which patients make decisions that can guide their future health care, if they become unable to speak for themselves. This program also reviews and describes the most common forms of dementias, builds skills for recognizing decision making capacity, and discusses the red flags involved in that process.

Description

This workshop addresses how caring for a person who is living with any kind of dementia inherently involves entering a world of uncertainty and grief. Doing so can feel chaotic, messy, and overwhelming for care partners. It’s hard to understand what is going on, what to do next, and how to effectively help someone with a brain disease that is ever-changing.

This workshop helps “make sense of the mess” that can come with caring for someone impacted by dementia by exploring the underlying grief and loss involved, by empowering people to change their perspectives, and by understanding why self-care is not a selfish act, but an act of self-preservation.

Description

COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted people living with dementia and their family and professional care partners in countless ways since the pandemic began in 2020—both within care facilities and in the home environment. Learn about the roots of trauma and how trauma-informed care can help support people with dementia and their caregivers during a critical time when they need it most.

Description

This workshop delves into the world of anticipatory grief & ambiguous loss– what it looks like, what it is, and how it applies to providing care to people living with dementia. The workshop helps identify coping strategies to effectively deal with caregiving challenges, stages of grief, and common behavioral expressions and unmet needs of people living with dementia. It also explores ways to get out of emotional quicksand once you start sinking, with guidelines to help care partners not just survive, but thrive on their caregiving journeys.

Description

When family histories include past addiction, abuse, and trauma, care can be compromised for people living with dementia and their care partners. This workshop explores how early trauma may impact individual’s in later life through engaging stories, case studies and discussion, including strategies for counseling and reducing caregiver stress.