Virtual town hall targets caregivers
70% of the people who struggle with the disease live at home.
The Alzheimer’s Association and the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice will sponsor a virtual statewide town hall event to address the needs of home-based caregivers and providers.
The free webinar event — Virtual Town Hall: Resources for In-Home Alzheimer’s Caregivers and Home Care Agencies — will take place live at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Participants will receive a link to join the Zoom webinar upon registration.
Eric VanVlymen, Ohio Regional Director for the Alzheimer’s Association, said, this town hall is a great opportunity for the two organizations to come together and provide safety guidelines and tips for families caring for a loved one at home, especially during this time.
“Seventy percent of people with Alzheimer’s live at home and many of the 220,000 Ohio families depend on home care and hospice care as an essential support. Now, due to COVID-19, caregivers are facing increased isolation and decreased services due to health concerns and risks for this vulnerable population. This town hall will allow them to hear first-hand what care agencies are doing and then they can decide if this resource is right for them at this time.”
The Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice is a nonprofit association that serves as the voice of health care at home in Ohio, advocating on behalf of the industry and the individuals and families they serve. Joe Russell, Executive Director of OCHCH, said, “COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives, but for those families and individuals struggling with Alzheimer’s it’s been particularly difficult. It’s important that we work together during this trying time to support those vulnerable Ohioans where it matters most. We appreciate the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Ohio Alzheimer’s Association to bring light to this important topic.”
To register for the virtual town hall, visit www.ochch.org/alz. Attendees will be able to submit questions to VanVlymen and Russell in advance after registering or via the chat function during the town hall.
Currently there are 220,000 Ohioans, age 65 and older, living with Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association offers tips for dementia caregivers at home. They can be found at www.alz.org.
Edwina Blackwell Clark is director of communications of the Alzheimer’s Association, Miami Valley Chapter. She can be emailed at edblackwellclark@alz.org.