The fall is always a busy time for us at Seniors Helping Seniors, Greater Boston & Metrowest, and this October has been no different! We firmly believe that you’re never too old to learn new things, and providing our caregivers with continued learning opportunities is at the forefront of what we do. Earlier this month we hosted a speaker series on ‘Facing Engagement Challenges with Clients Living with Dementia’ and our LGBT Elders Cultural Competency Training, which were both well-attended and highly educational events.
In our speaker series on ‘Facing Engagement Challenges with Clients Living with Dementia,’ Tammy Pozerycki discussed how people living with dementia often have their own agenda, and what that means for potentially unsafe situations and opportunities to redirect and engage with memory loss clients. We learned best strategies for successful redirection and engagement in collaborative discussions, while Tammy also highlighted how to best approach challenges like agitation, depression, diminished abilities and participation refusal.
Next, we had our LGBTQ+ Elders Cultural Competency Training with Julie Nowak, LGBTQ+ Initiative Coordinator at BayPath Elder Services. Together, we visited and discussed ways to offer inclusive care to all elderly clients. Julie took us through a guided presentation on how to look at the LGBTQ+ community’s unique challenges and strengths, and how we can remain welcoming to all.
Lastly for the month, we have our two-day Alzheimer’s Habilitation Training, taking place Tuesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 24. Habilitation Training is a comprehensive behavioral approach to caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, with a focus on the remaining abilities, rather than what has already been lost to the disease. For those interested in joining us at this event, please RSVP by calling our office at (617) 877-3163 or by emailing Lisa Graffeo ([email protected]).
Caregivers, we’ll continue to share these special trainings and events with you via email, and encourage you to join us if you haven’t already. Many of our speaker series courses also come with Continuing Education (CE) credits if you are a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), so this program is good towards your CDP recertification.
In addition to these courses and workshops, each month we share a variety of events relevant to everyone in our field, as well as families caring for elderly loved ones, all happening throughout Greater Boston and beyond.