This public seminar is for seniors and persons with disabilities as well as lay persons who provide their care or manage their financial or legal affairs. Along with information, free power of attorneys and advanced directives are provided for people age 60 and older.

The seminar for lay people is on Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at Via Health Fitness and Enrichment Center, located at 1717 Dauphin Street, Mobile, AL 36606.  Times:  9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m. for seminar, 12:30 – 4:30pm for free power of attorneys and advanced directives.

The seminar for professionals is on Tuesday, July 29 from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. at the Via Center and on Thursday at the James Nix Center in Fairhope.  CEU’s are available.

The seminar speaker is Clayton Davis, Attorney at Law, who has over 35 years of experience with nursing home Medicaid and other public benefits and probate matters.

For more information, call the Area Agency on Aging at 251-433-6541.

SARPC and the Area Agency on Aging invites you to The SHIP Monthly Medicare Birthday Bash!

With so many options and almost daily post cards arriving at your house, the choice can be confusing and a little overwhelming.

Before you turn 65 come to our monthly Medicare Birthday Bash for help.  See flier for more details.

Turning 65 – Birthday Bash flyer 5-14

It’s finally going to happen – A Walk to End Alzheimer’s is in the planning stages.  It will be held at the Fairhope Pier on September 20, 2014.  The kick-off party is planned for Tuesday, May 13th from 5 – 7 at Laps Grocery and Grill.

Teepa Snow knows how to make a lasting impression.  Her trademark characterizations of dementia keeps her audience engaged and amused.  But dementia is no laughing matter.  Anyone who cares for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia is faced with incomprehensible challenges.  Teepa Snow is on a mission to change the perception of dementia in society and instruct caregivers on positive approach practices.  Her recent visit to Mobile as the featured speaker at the “Lower Alabama 2014 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Conference” was a treat for all in attendance.  “That’s my mother,” was  tearfully said by one participant as Teepa role played out a typical scenario between a mother affected by dementia and her daughter.  Mrs. Snow’s 30 plus years working hands on with dementia patients has made behaviors caused by dementia to be second nature.  She recently published “Dementia Caregiver Guide,”  a family friendly guidebook to understanding the many facets and progression of dementia.  It can be purchased from her website, teepasnow.com.

In her presentation, Mrs. Snow demonstrated techniques for assisting someone with dementia into a car, how to help someone sit down in a chair safely, and how to substitute a dangerous situation with a safe one.  She stressed that understanding the limitations someone may be experiencing is helpful when providing care: realizing that vision is limited,  awareness that while hearing may not be impaired, understanding  meanings of words may be, and that the use of hands and feet are altered. “All due to changes in the brain”, said Teepa Snow, referring to images from the projector that clearly show vacant spots where tissue once was.

The attentive audience got to rehearse techniques with partners to help apply her practical teachings.

Teepa Snow’s keen awareness of people’s behavior makes her an excellent teacher.  Thank you, Teepa Snow, for coming to Mobile and moving us forward in our approach to care.  Thank you Gulf Coast Dementia Services and Mercy Life,  for this invaluable lesson made available to our community today. May all that was learned go forth and multiply throughout our care community.

Next week is the annual Alzheimer’s Association Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC.  I will be attending as a Advocate for the Mobile area.  Watch for coming posts of all the activities and excitement.

Today, Peter Cowley, Associate Director of the Alabama/ Florida Panhandle Alzheimer Association and I paid a visit to Bradley Byrnes’ office in the RSA Tower.  We dropped off Alzheimer Association literature to announce the association’s presence in our area and purple cupcakes to leave a lasting impression.

The monthly support group of the E. A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center will present Jennifer Fleming, Community Liaison of Allen Memorial Home.  She will talk about “How to be Prepared for a Nursing Home”.  The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 10:00am.

Complimentary care will be provided during the meeting.  Please call 435-6950 for more information.

You are invited to attend the Dementia and Alzheimer Information Workshop hosted by Catholic Social Services of Mobile.  The presenters will be Della Sanchez, LGSW, Alabama Cares Coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging and Gina Germany, President, Touching Hearts Senior Care.  Deacon George Yeend of St. Lawrence Parish will lead in prayer and reflection.

This workshop will be beneficial for caregivers, family members, Ministers for the Sick, Clergy and anyone who is interested in Dementia/Alzheimer disease.

The program will be presented twice on Thursday, April 10th at either 10am to noon or 6pm to 8pm at St. Pius X Santo Center on 217 Sage Avenue, Mobile, AL.

For information, please call Ruth Breland, Director of the Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities – 251-434-1550.

Teepa Snow, Dementia Expert

 Gulf Coast Dementia Conference is being held April 18, 2014 at the DePaul Center at Providence Hospital. Touching Hearts Senior Care, and Mercy Life of Alabama  are currently the main sponsors of the first ever conference in Lower Alabama.

Renowned Dementia expert, Teepa Snow, will be the instructor and provide professionals with CEUs. This is a conference you do not want to miss. Teepa will speak candidly to the audience regarding the ABC’s of Dementia, Understanding the Different Dementias and why do they do that? She will also discuss communication skills and challenging behaviors.

This is a free conference and seats are more than half full, now is the time to register.

You can register online or call Gina Germany at her office 251-445-4204.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition of South Alabama

April 2014

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Coalition of 

South Alabama and our partners invite you to attend 

their community meeting on 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014 

Five Rivers Resource Center– Blakely Hall 

30945 Five Rivers Blvd, Spanish Fort, AL 36526 

10:00 am—11:30 am 

10:00 a.m. Greetings – Julie McGee, Director, Area Agency on Aging

Discussion of Survey

10:15 a.m. Agency Announcements –Coalition Members

10:30 a.m. Senior Resource Guide information and 2014 Senior Expo

Gay Watson, Outreach Coordinator

10:45 a.m. Caregiver College Announcement,

Della Sanchez, AL Cares Coordinator

11:30 a.m. Adjourn

Area Agency on Aging – 251-706-4650

Della Sanchez, LGSW, AL Cares Coordinator

E. A. Roberts Alzheimer’s Center hosts their monthly support group on the second Thursday of each month.  In the June meeting, Dana Adair will speak on “Recognizing Health Changes in the Dementia Patient.”   Come at 10 a.m. and join the conversation.

Complimentary care will be provided during the meeting.   Please call 435-6950 for more information.

The center is located at 169 Mobile Infirmary Boulevard in Mobile, AL  36607.