Dementia Education Day offers sessions for residents

DAYTON — Miami Valley residents can learn about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and interact with trained Alzheimer’s Association staff during Dementia Education Day.

The Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter will host its Dementia Education Day in a virtual format from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. The free half-day program offers two educational workshops on the weekend so that current caregivers who work might be able to attend.

Rebecca Hall, director of care and support for the Miami Valley Chapter, said, “We recognize that caregivers have a lot going on and making time to attend an education program can be challenging. Combining these two programs and offering them on a Saturday hopefully makes it easier for those who may not be able to attend a program during the week to get the information they need.”

During this pandemic, “many Alzheimer’s caregivers feel isolated, so we are happy to bring programming to them,” Hall added.

This year, Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia will be presented from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., and Dementia Conversations will be presented from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. People can register for one or both programs.

Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia is an introductory session about causes, risk factors, stages of the disease, treatment, and the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Dementia Conversations offers tips on how to have conversations with loved ones about topics such as when to stop driving, going to the doctor, and making legal and financial plans.

To register for Dementia Education Day, call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7HelpLine at 800-272-3900.

In the Miami Valley, 30,000 people live with Alzheimer’s disease and 90,000 people are caring for them. Alzheimer’s disease, which is a fatal brain disease that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed, affects 5.8 million people nationwide. Two-thirds of those living with Alzheimer’s disease are women.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. All of the association’s services are free. The Miami Valley Chapter continually offers education programs for all family members and support groups for caregivers. To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and association services, visit alz.org. To schedule a care consultation for your loved one, call the chapter’s office at 937-291-3332.