Sessions will deal with Alzheimer's care

Oct. 20--The Alzheimer's Association of Kentucky and Southern Indiana will host the "Best Friends Approach" to Alzheimer's care on Oct. 29 at Owensboro Health Healthpark.

There will be two sessions, one for family caregivers from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., and another for professional caregivers from 1 to 4 p.m.

The guest speaker will be Tonya Cox, a co-author of the "Best Friends Approach," which has been shown to improve the quality of life and reduce challenging behaviors in people with dementia, said Helene French, Community Outreach coordinator with the Alzheimer's Association of Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

"It's an internationally recognized program for caregivers to use with their loved ones," French said. "It focuses on a person's life story and how to relate to them where they are at the moment in the progression of the disease."

French called it "a common-sense approach" because people with Alzheimer's disease tend to retain their long-term memory longer than their short-term memory.

"They remember stories from a long time ago, so you can get them to use that information that's still in their brain and let them talk about that while you're having to do an activity that doesn't appeal to them, such as grooming or bathing, but by them telling a story that they enjoy, it gets their mind off the task at hand."

Professionals can use that approach as well, using a patient's past experiences that the family shares with them.

"For example, we had someone locally who left a home and was located thanks to our medical alert safety program, but when they found her, she was carrying books," French said. "It turns out, she was a schoolteacher in her career, and she left to go to work. So if you get her to tell stories about (teaching), it's more enjoyable for them.

"Or maybe a gentleman goes from room to room in the facility and you find out from his history that he was a mailman, and he can tell stories about that. Or if a woman was a homemaker, maybe give her a baby doll to care for."

The reservation deadline for professionals is Oct. 24 with a fee of $25. Continuing education units are available.

The reservation deadline for family caregivers isOct. 28 with a suggested donation of $5.

All reservations may be made by calling 1-800-272-3900.

The event will be in Classroom B at the 1006 Ford Ave. facility.

Rich Suwanski, 270-691-7315, or rsuwanski@messenger-inquirer.com.

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