HERMISTON, Ore.-Good Shepherd’s Vange John Memorial Hospice is hosting a free, six-part workshop series on dementia starting October 15.
“We all know someone who has or is caring for someone with dementia,” said James Lafolette, Hospice Chaplain at Vange John. “The need is there for the knowledge and tools to effectively and compassionately care for people.”
“Getting to Know Dementia” is a six-part workshop designed to deepen participants’ understanding of dementia and teach the techniques to build positive, respectful relationships with those living with changing cognitive abilities.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 7.2 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease or another form of dementia, and 12 million people are providing unpaid care for family or friends with dementia.
“There’s a stigma about dementia and a tendency to not talk about it, even though it’s so prevalent,” said Rod Harwood, a Positive Approach to Care Certified Advanced Trainer and Consultant with Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc, who will be leading the workshop series.
Dementia is an umbrella term covering many different diseases and conditions, including Mild-Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia and several others.
Lafolette, who served as a Pastor for 45 years, including 22 in Hermiston, and saw families struggle with caring for a loved one with dementia, attended one of Harwood’s workshops with his wife about two-and-a-half years ago and realized that the seminar, offering a positive approach to care and support, needed to be held again.
“It’s great training to have for those with a loved one suffering from dementia, caregivers, nurses, even volunteers, regarding what to expect and what to do,” said Lafolette.
Greater Oregon Behavioral Health is a nonprofit that administers the behavioral health Medicaid benefit and provides non-emergent medical transportation in 12 rural Oregon Counties.
Harwood works throughout Northeast Oregon, and his workshops have been requested in Hermiston, Pendleton, Heppner, Wallowa and Baker.
“This workshop series is about increasing awareness and providing the training and skills to identify dementia and support those with it and their caregivers,” said Harwood.
Attendees of the “Getting to know Dementia” workshop will learn to recognize what happens when the brain changes due to dementia, rather than normal aging.
Dementia progression and how to connect with individuals in various states of cognitive impairment, and how partners and care providers can become advocates for those with dementia, will also be covered.
“The workshops aren’t just lectures,” said Harwood. “There are video segments, interactions, times for sharing, and Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach Methods.”
Teepa Snow is a renowned Dementia-Care Specialist who developed the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) method, a series of easily understandable techniques based on understanding the areas of the brain that are no longer working.
The PAC method explains why and how changes are happening, and how to support those experiencing brain change in a positive, respectful way.
For both Lafolette and Harwood, the support and connections that the workshop provides will also be important, as caregivers of those with dementia often neglect their own health, becoming increasingly isolated as the disease progresses.
“We’re doing the workshop series to provide a resource to the community,” said Lafolette. “Perhaps an additional benefit will be the friendships that are formed or the support groups that are developed by attendees.”
Getting to Know Dementia Six-Part Workshop Series
- October 15: What is Dementia, Really?
- October 22: What brain changes and shifts in ability are noticeable when dementia happens?
- October 29: Looking at Progression and Seeing More than Loss: The GEMS State Model
- November 5: The GEMS State Model: In the Right Setting with the Right Care, all GEMS Can Shine
- November 12: New Skills for Helping and Supporting
- November 19: Being an Advocate and Building a Support Team
“Dementia is prevalent in society,” said Lafolette. “By knowing what it looks like and what to expect, we can see the bigger picture and increase compassion in the way we interact with and care for those suffering from it.”
All workshop sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd’s Vange John Memorial Hospice located at 645 W. Orchard Avenue in Hermiston.
Those interested in attending the free workshop series can register by contacting James Lafolette at 541.667.3543, ext. 3814 or by email at jlafolette@gshealth.org.
