Dementia support group to feature world-renowned dementia care specialists and local writer
Caregivers of persons with dementia in Guam and the rest of Micronesia will have an opportunity this month to hear from world-renowned dementia care specialists affiliated with Positive Approach to Care. Teepa Snow, a registered and licensed occupational therapist and a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, will present on 鈥淭he Typical Progression of Dementia and How to Help鈥 this Saturday, and applied gerontologist Dr. Beth Nolan will present on 鈥淯nderstanding the Different Dementias鈥 on Saturday, June 25. The sessions will be online via Zoom, and Snow and Nolan will be available after their presentations to answer questions from the group participants.
Also this month, two online dementia support group sessions will feature special presentations on 鈥淩eminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care鈥 with local writer Jillette Torre Leon-Guerrero. Leon-Guerrero will share stories about her father鈥檚 life growing up in Guam in the 1930s and '40s, along with live readings from her book 鈥淐oming of Age in War-Torn Guam: The WWII Memoirs of Justo Torre Leon Guerrero.鈥 These sessions are specially designed to help caregivers learn to make meaningful connections with older adults and persons with dementia by embracing the oral storytelling traditions of Pacific island cultures, including sharing life stories and family memories.
The presentations are part of the ongoing online support groups for family caregivers of persons with dementia being conducted by the Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program of the 91快播 School of Health.
CARES庐 End-of-Life Dementia Care鈩 鈥 Module 2: The CARES庐 Approach
鈥淭he Typical Progression of Dementia and How to Help鈥 with Teepa Snow
鈥淩eminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care鈥 with Jillette Torre Leon-Guerrero
CARES庐 End-of-Life Dementia Care鈩 鈥 Module 3: Decision Making at the End of Life
CARES庐 End-of-Life Dementia Care鈩 鈥 Module 4: Comfort Care
CARES庐 End-of-Life Dementia Care鈩 鈥 Module 5: Emotional and Spiritual Support
The GWEP dementia support group sessions are held remotely on Zoom every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, year-round. The sessions are free of charge to partners, family members, and other caregivers of persons with dementia who have ties to Guam and the Micronesian region.
For more information, contact Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez at (671) 735-2883 or gwep.tgss@triton.uog.edu or Rhoda Orallo at (671) 735-3277 or r.orallo@hspguam.com.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an award totaling $885,592 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. government. Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program Award #: 6 U1QHP33078-03-02.