Alzheimer’s Resource Center, WCC prepare for annual conference

Caregivers of all skill levels will have the opportunity to glean helpful information during the 20th annual Alzheimer’s Conference, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Resource Center and the Wallace Community College Continuing Education Department.

Featured speakers for this year’s event, which will be held Wednesday, March 11, in the Dothan Civic Center, are Mary Sharp (B.S. in Education) and Rachel Kail (B.A. in Psychology). This mother-daughter tandem was the keynote speakers for the 2007 conference. Their imaginative and activity-filled presentations were a hit with the conference attendees.

“Most of the caregivers, especially the professional caregivers, already know the medical background to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Kay Jones, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Resource Center. “We feel it is more beneficial to provide them with helpful tips and activities that they can use with their Alzheimer patients.

“I believe that is why speakers like Mary Sharp, Rachel Kail and Jolene Brackey are so popular with caregivers. To me, they are the best speakers we’ve had. They have so much creativity. They take a very positive approach to caregiving. In their presentations, they focus on the abilities the dementia patient still has. And that helps the caregivers. It helps them see methods that they can use with their patients.

“Overall, their presentation has a lot to offer caregivers in the way of advice and helpful tips that can be used to build what they call an active living environment.”

Ms. Jones noted, as the daughter of an Alzheimer patient, she would have benefited from their expertise.

“They have provided ideas that I would have tried with my mother, if she were still alive,” Ms. Jones said.

This year’s conference, “Building an Active Living Environment for Those with Alzheimer’s Disease,” begins at 8 a.m. and will last until 3:30 p.m. The registration fee is $65 per participant. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided.

To register using MasterCard or Visa, contact Connie Shepard, of Wallace Community College, at 334-556-2205, or mail your check and registration form to Wallace Community College, Connie Shepard, 5565 Montgomery Hwy., Dothan, AL 36303.

Wallace Community College is an approved provider of nursing continuing education. It is also recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer continuing education. Nurses are reminded to bring their ABN license card for scanning to receive CEUs.

Ms. Jones noted the conference is open to anyone desiring to learn more about taking care of an Alzheimer patient, but the focus is geared toward professional caregivers - nurses, social workers, therapists, nursing home administrations and other similar disciplines.

“Regardless of whether the participant is a professional caregiver or a family member, it is our goal that each caregiver who attends will leave the conference better equipped to take care of their patient or their loved one,” Ms. Jones said. “We have these conferences every year so that we will become better caregivers. Taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease requires constant learning. There are no black and white answers. You have to continue learning.”

Vendors are also encouraged to participate in the conference. Booths are available for $100.

For more information about vendor exhibits or the conference, contact Kay Jones at the Alzheimer’s Resource Center, 702-2273 or 1-888-702-8689. You may also email inquiries to . Or you may visit the Alzheimer’s Resource Center’s Web site, http://www.wesharethecare.org.

(Elaine Brackin is managing editor of The Dothan Progress.)