Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association will host Living with Alzheimer’s: For Middle-Stage Caregivers, a series of free community workshops for caregivers of persons in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. The Living with Alzheimer’s: For Middle-Stage Caregivers workshop series will be held on May 16, May 23, and May 30, 2019 from 1-3:00 p.m. in the Conference Room at Camden Clark Health & Wellness Center, located at 2804 Birch Street, Parkersburg, WV.
The Living with Alzheimer’s: For Middle-Stage Caregivers workshop is an opportunity for caregivers to gain the knowledge, tools and strategies needed to cope with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The program is designed to educate caregivers on how they can provide optimal care for their loved one during the middle stages of the disease in order to maintain quality of life.
Registration is free, but seating is limited. An RSVP is required by calling the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900 or online at http://bit.ly/LWA-5-9.
Attendance at all three programs is recommended. A fourth week will likely be provided for attendees to learn more about caregiving services and resources in the area on June 6th at 1:00 p.m.
For more information regarding the Living with Alzheimer’s: For Middle-Stage Caregivers workshop series, Alzheimer’s disease, or to connect to information and support through the free 24/7 Helpline, contact the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900.
“Living with Alzheimer’s for Middle-Stage Caregivers will help those caring for a family member develop skills for hands on care and will stimulate discussion about issues of safety and care that preserves the dignity of those impacted by dementia. We discuss everything from self-care for the caregiver to firearm safety considerations,” stated Carolyn Canini, Program Director.
More than 38,000 West Virginians have Alzheimer’s. It is the most expensive disease in America, with costs now exceeding a quarter of a trillion dollars per year nationally. In WV, $414 million was the total cost to Medicaid and more than $23,000 per capita Medicare dollars were spent on caring for people with Alzheimer’s in 2018. (According to Alzheimer’s Association).
Due to the toll of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, caregivers in America have more than $11 billion in additional health care costs each year. In 2017, $88 million was reported as the higher health care cost amount for dementia caregivers in WV.
Among people with dementia, 1 in every 4 hospitalizations is preventable. In 2015 the dementia patient hospital readmission rate in WV was 22.4%.
In Ohio, there were a reported 5117 deaths in 2017 related to Alzheimer’s disease.
“Alzheimer’s Disease impacts a significant number of people in the Mid-Ohio Valley, and the Alzheimer’s Association works to raise awareness about dementia and available services so that no one impacted has to feel alone. In addition to community education and support groups, the Alzheimer’s Association provides a 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900) to support caregivers, people with memory loss, and the professionals who serve them,” stated Sharon Rotenberry, Executive Director. “We strongly encourage caregivers to call the Helpline,” she added.
She also added, “And we certainly hope that caregivers will take advantage of these free workshops.”
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research in West Virginia & Ohio. Their mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Their vision is a world without Alzheimer’s.
For more information, visit www.alz.org/wv or call 800-272-3900.
