Whether you’re new to caregiving or have years of experience, caregiver training can make all the difference in the care you provide. The skills and knowledge you learn can better prepare you for your role and make you more effective at preventing accidents, errors, injuries, and more.
Caregiver training is an excellent place to start if you’re helping prepare your parent for aging in place.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
Dignity Health offers a free, six-week course called “Powerful Tools for Caregivers.” The educational series provides Family Caregivers with the tools they need to take care of themselves while also taking care of an adult relative or friend.
The 90-minute classes are offered quarterly either virtually or at the Marian Home Care and Hospice office in Santa Maria. Interactive lessons, discussions and brainstorming will help you take the tools you choose and put them into action for your life. The classes and literature are offered at no cost to caregivers.
For more information or to register, contact the Family Caregiver Support Program, Marian Regional Medical Center at (805) 332-8590.
The Savvy Caregiver Program
The Savvy Caregiver is an intensive, 5-week workshop for nonprofessional caregivers of those living with dementia. Go beyond introductory offerings with 10 hours of face-to-face training with dementia specialists. Each two-hour class is complemented by reading assignments in The Savvy Caregiver textbook and additional worksheets.
As a caregiver for someone with dementia, it is important to know when it’s time to take control and how to make the best decisions for your loved one.
Alzheimer’s Association of the Central Coast offers “The Savvy Caregiver Program” to address family caregiver’s biggest concerns.
Developed by Dr. Ken Hepburn and a team of dementia experts at the University of Minnesota, this program is specially designed for people caring for a loved one in the middle stages of the disease.
If you want to learn more about how to manage the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease and techniques to improve your communication skills and avoid unnecessary conflict, you can complete an online screening survey. The Alzheimer’s Association also has ongoing caregiver education programs, both in person and virtual, that can be found at alz.org/crf.
Living Well with Parkinson’s Disease
The Parkinson’s Association of Santa Barbara (PASB) will once again provide a daylong Symposium on Saturday, April 1st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Elk’s Club in Goleta. PASB is pleased to feature two well-known Neurologists from Southern California, both of whom specialize in treating people diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Dr. Tagliati will review new advances in understanding and treating Parkinson’s Disease. This will include causes and physiology of the disease, physical symptoms and the variety of treatment options.
Dr. Adrienne Keener, will discuss the importance of exercise and diet as well as how to handle issues dealing with sleep disturbance and depression, and managing stress. She will also include a discussion of the latest medicines for Parkinson’s.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to visit booths from local health care providers. For more information or to register for the PASB Symposium, please go to www.mypasb.org
Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Prevention Webinar
Save the date for the Elder and Dependent Abuse Prevention Council annual training conference on May 18. The online webinar will feature a presentation by Dr. Laura Mosqueda, MD, FAAFP, AGSF. Mosqueda is a professor (with tenure) of Family Medicine and Geriatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She is a widely respected authority on elder abuse and care of the elderly and underserved. More details to come.
