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LeadingAge Iowa and the Alzheimer’s Association have partnered to offer 3 webinars for families, caregivers, and professionals who support people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Join us for one or all webinars in this series. Information, resources, and tools to help improve quality of life will be included.

Event Agenda
February 15, 2023 | 12 – 1 p.m. CT
Effective Communication
Communication is more than just talking and listening – it’s also about sending and receiving messages through attitude, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. Communication is a way to express who we are and how we relate to each other. As the brain changes with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia-related progression, people lose the ability to speak and decode language in the usual ways. The better we understand these changes, the better we can connect with people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias throughout the course of the disease.

• Explore how communication takes place when someone is living with any form of dementia. 
• Explain the communication changes that take place throughout the course of the disease.
• Decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone living with dementia and respond in ways that are helpful to the person.
• Identify strategies to help you connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.

February 22, 2023 | 12 – 1 p.m. CT
Dementia Conversations
The changing needs of the person often signal that it's time to talk. We have heard from many people that tell us that some of the most difficult conversations they had with their parent or family are about going to the doctor to get a diagnosis or medical care; deciding it’s necessary to stop driving; and making plans for managing finances or legal documents to be sure the person’s wishes are carried out and the costs of future care are covered.

• Share some tips for breaking the ice and having some difficult conversations around some of the most common issues that arise when someone shows signs of Alzheimer’s or another dementia.
• Help you plan ahead and build a care team that works and communicates well to reduce some of the stress that can accompany a disease like Alzheimer’s.
• Give you an opportunity to hear from people who are experiencing similar issues. These individuals will share how they handled these challenging conversations. 
• Connect you with helpful resources to enhance the quality of life for everyone involved.

March 1, 2023 | 12 – 1 p.m. CT
Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behavior
Some of the most difficult behaviors for caregivers to understand and address arise in the middle stage of the disease. Behavioral symptoms can be caused by physical discomfort, such as fatigue, hunger, thirst, constipation, full bladder or an uncomfortable room temperature. Behaviors may also be triggered by overstimulation, sadness and loss, boredom, isolation or changes in routine or living situation. Although the causes may be hard to sort out, it is helpful to take steps to understand and respond to needs expressed through behaviors. We will present an outline of steps to take and will then apply those steps to the most challenging behaviors that caregivers commonly face.

• Review the challenging behavioral aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and strategies to use to help address them. 
• Identify common triggers for behaviors associated with dementia.
• Explain the process for assessing and identifying challenging behaviors.
• List strategies to address some common dementia-related behaviors.

Click here for a printer friendly PDF of the event.

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