New options for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s

Washington Home Instead Senior Care® franchise offices will host free, in-person Alzheimer’s training sessions during November in conjunction with Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month.

The recently launched Alzheimer’s CARE: Changing Aging Through Research and EducationSM program is a first-of-its-kind training program that addresses current and future needs by offering family members a fresh approach to Alzheimer’s care. The approach encourages mental engagement to help relatives remain safely at home and in familiar surroundings as long as possible, and family members learn to immerse themselves in the mindsets of their loved ones to help manage difficult behaviors associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

For a schedule of the training programs in Washington or to take free online training courses, visit http://www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com.

Approximately 80 percent of Alzheimer’s home care is provided by family members. The Alzheimer's CARE program, based on input from renowned aging and dementia experts, offers them a much-needed resource for coping with challenges presented by the disease while maintaining their loved one’s dignity and helping them live more fulfilling lives.

“As the Baby Boomer population continues to age, it is essential for current and future caregivers to be educated and prepared on how to manage behaviors associated with Alzheimer's disease,” said Jeff Huber, president and chief operating officer of Home Instead, Inc. “We hope that by reaching such a wide audience, more family caregivers will be equipped with the proper knowledge and tools to face the everyday challenges of the disease.”

The Alzheimer’s CARE training program was created exclusively by and for the Home Instead Senior Care network. Based on co-author David Troxel’s “best friends” approach to Alzheimer’s Care – and informed and endorsed by experts in aging, Alzheimer's and related fields – the program focuses on the care and dignity of the individual rather than the symptoms, diagnosis and treatments. It encourages caregivers to capture a senior’s life journey and use that information to relate to them personally. More information, can be obtained by visiting http://www.helpforalzheimersfamilies.com.

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® franchise network is the world’s largest provider of non-medical, in-home care services for seniors, with more than 950 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own homes for as long as possible.