Becoming more aware
Getting prepared for the road ahead
In a church hall, in 1983, concerned family members came together for one goal, to create an organization for caregivers and people with dementia that supports, educates and informs.
The Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia was born from passionate and dedicated family members and started with a helpline to a phone which was on the kitchen table of a volunteer.
In 2018, 35 years later, we have grown from that one phone and volunteers and have expanded to include education programs like the Family Caregiver Education Series.
Today, one of the things that I hear the most from families is, “I want to learn more and understand this disease better – how can I do that?
How do I learn and make sure that the information is correct? And how do I use that information to help my person?”
These are such common questions. We recognize that a diagnosis of dementia is life altering for not only the person diagnosed but also for those that are close to them.
The Family Caregiver Education Series is one of the programs we offer that helps answer those questions. Each series consists of six sessions, the length of the series depends on the group’s needs; some FCES are completed in a weekend, some over six weeks. The series limited to a small group of people, who within a confidential setting, learn and share together. Everyone who attends, at no cost, leaves with educational materials and knowledge about the disease and resources in the communities, and a sense that they are not alone.
The six sessions offer people a way to start the journey of understanding and supporting and also how to care for themselves as caregivers. Sessions range from understanding dementia, to responding to changing care needs.
“During one session we looked at pictures of how dementia physically changes our brains,” says Denise Bourgeois, a series facilitator. “From this session people said they more fully understood how this disease is real and affects the whole person.” Bourgeois volunteers her time as a facilitator in Cheticamp and is the recreational therapist at Foyer Pere Fiset. In these two roles she sees the direct benefits of dementia education.
“The group shared how it helped them to understand and recognize that many things happen because of this disease. We also talk about how the course gives them knowledge of dementia and how to help their day to day communications,” says Bourgeois.
We offer this series for caregivers, but also to friends and family members that are just looking to learn more and to support people with early stage dementia.
“We are finding that more and more people are interested in this series as caring community members,” says my colleague Kirstie Creighton, Manager of Program Development.
“If you, or your group, are interested in registering for the fall sessions of the fall Family Caregiver Education Series, please call us at 1-800611-6345.”
Sometimes people will complete the FCES and then make the next step of attending a local Alzheimer Society support group. These confidential groups allow you as the caregiver or friend, to learn, share (if you want), talk through challenging situations or exchange practical information.
I hope that if you are wanting to learn more about dementia and how to support someone living with it, you will join us at a Family Caregiver Education Series. As one participant wrote to us about the series, “Thank you so much for providing me with these tools so that I can be better equipped for the long, hard road ahead.”