Caring effectively course set

  GEM Adult Services Center is partnering with All Saints Episcopal Church in Southern Shores to offer a course about the best care for people with dementia beginning Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m.

  This training program will be offered in two hour sessions over a six-week period. Topics in the series include ”How to avoid problem behavior,” ”Communication skills,” ”When to add additional layers of care” and ”Implications of the different stages of dementia.” Special guest speakers include the Rev. Thomas Wilson, attorney Ron DeVeau and Dr. John Haresh. They will offer insight into the special challenges of providing care for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Jane Smallwood, a family care giver will discuss her role as care partner for her husband, Jerry.

  During the course, the four-part DVD series ”Accepting the Challenge of Providing the BEST CARE for People with Dementia,” created by ALZNC and featuring Teepa Snow, an expert in the field of Alzheimer’s, will be shown.

  Now more than ever, Alzheimer’s awareness is important. According to research, Alzheimer’s currently affects more than five million Americans, a number that is expected to triple by the year 2050. In Dare County almost one in six of older adults are facing this disease right now.

  As the search for a cure continues, research shows the disease is often detected in its middle stages. This course will offer information about mid-cognitive impairment and the early stages that often go unrecognized. This course is limited to 10 individuals. The course fee of $15 will cover a notebook and all course materials. For an additional fee of $10, participants may receive a certificate from ALZNC certifying they have successfully completed the course.

  The training program was developed by Gail Sonnesso, MS, executive director of GEM. Susan Firman, a retired nurse eductor, and Lynda Hester, a family care giver and retired trainer for the U.S. Coast Guard.

  The GEM center is a nonprofit organization providing therapeutic, rehabilitation-based programming for those at risk. This respite program meets Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 in Kill Devil Hills.

  For more information about this course or about GEM services, call Gail Sonnesso at 252-480-3354.