Free Family Caregiver Workshops to be held Feb. 23, March 2

By Ben Boulden

FORT SMITH – The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will hold free family caregiver workshops Feb. 23 and March 2 for those who would like to learn about caring for an adult with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

The identical workshops will be held 1-5 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church located at 2301 Midland Blvd. in Fort Smith. For more information or to register, please call 479-478-8819 or visit www.uamscaregiving.org.

The workshops will present an overview of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and provide caregiving tips that maintain respect, dignity and quality of life for the person living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Information will also be presented on nutrition, behavior, communication techniques and activities.

These workshops are sponsored by the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC) at UAMS, which is funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program grant. The AGEC improves the quality of care for older adults through education by offering programs for health professionals, first responders, family caregivers and direct care workers.

The UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging serves the needs of an aging generation with the highest standards of research and care. It was established through a 1997 gift of $28.8 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and expanded through a 2009 foundation gift of $33.4 million. Within the institute is the Arkansas Aging Initiative (AAI), created from part of Arkansas’ share of the Master Tobacco Settlement to improve the health of older Arkansans through interdisciplinary clinical care and innovative education programs, and to influence state and national health policy. The AAI created seven Centers on Aging throughout the state to provide senior adults access to quality care within a 60-mile drive from their homes. These centers offer the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program so older adults might have more opportunities to remain at home.