Discover the Importance of Training for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregivers

Being a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia is a demanding role. Whether you’re new to being a caregiver or you’re a current caregiver who needs some additional support, we offer free online and in-person caregiver classes and Alzheimer’s Disease education workshops for caregivers along every stage of the caregiving journey.

Why is Training for Caregivers Important?

Our dementia caregiver workshops and classes better prepare caregivers for their caregiving role by teaching valuable medical information, providing informed financial and planning advice, and sharing caregiving strategies for short- and long-term care.

The caregiving role is constantly evolving throughout the stages of your loved one’s illness. Especially with progressive diseases, strategies that work one day often don’t have the same effect the next. It’s important to continue to educate yourself and learn from fellow caregivers on new tips and tricks to work into your daily routine.

What Types of Alzheimer & Dementia Caregiver Training Do You Offer?

We offer both in-person caregiver classes and online caregiver training, allowing you to select a training option that works best for you!

Introduction to Caregiving Classes

If you’re new to caregiving, it’s important to build a strong foundation of caregiving duties and medical background information so you know the necessities of your role. Our Just Diagnosed, What’s Next? class will walk you through the process of stepping into the caregiving role for the first time for a loved one with dementia. This includes advice for discussing the diagnosis with family and your steps for home safety, driving and financial planning. In our Dementia: What Does it Mean? class, you’ll learn the differences between aging and dementia and further detail on Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Bodies with Dementia and Frontotemporal Dementia.

In addition to our in-person workshop, we offer the CARES® Dementia Care for Families™ online training programThis caregiver training course is completely online and helps new caregivers to understand memory loss, learn how to live with Dementia, and utilize the CARES® Approach when dealing with a loved one suffering from memory loss. The online program is rich with activities and video interviews of family caregivers, people with dementia, and dementia experts.

Caregiving Strategy Courses

Ongoing education is necessary to improve the effectiveness of your caregiving. Our Creating a Strong Care Team class teaches you how to construct and maintain a nuanced and efficient care team as the primary caregiver. In our Finding Meaningful Activities class, we’ll teach you new activities you can do with your loved one to supplement or switch up your current care regime. Our Caregiving and the Holidays class will walk you through the often-overlooked process of caregiving for a person with memory loss over the holiday season.

Long-Term Caregiving Planning

A substantial amount of planning is necessary when preparing to care for a patient for the long term. Our Advance Directives and Financial Planning class will walk you through the complex aspects of advanced planning such as wills, advanced directives and power of attorneys. In our Planning for Future Care class, you will learn about the different levels of care (home care, assisted living care, nursing homes and hospice) as well as how to pay for long-term care.

Interested in attending one of our dementia caregiver training classes? Contact one of our Education Specialists today! For Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties, call Danielle Hance at (518) 564-3368. For Hamilton, Warren and Washington Counties, call Stacey Barcomb at (518) 832-4992.