Mark Your Calendars for 2005 – 2006 Programs
Grab your calendar – and click on the links below for the Greater Illinois Chapters’ schedule of programs through next July for caregivers, health care professionals and the public.   

Our educational programs and workshops, described below, are to help audiences better understand Alzheimer’s disease, how it progresses and the myriad changes it causes, as well as to provide them with information and skills to care for those living the dementia.  We offer programming for those interested in living brain-healthy lifestyles as they age.  We also offer education and training for professional caregivers to ensure quality care in residential settings.

Programs for People with Memory Loss, Caregivers, Family and Friends

• “Alzheimer’s: Beginning to Cope” – for family members and friends of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, this is a 90-minute overview of dementias, including the “10 warning signs,” Alzheimer research and treatments, with opportunities to ask questions and meet others in similar situations.  

• “Partnering With Your Doctor” – for people with memory loss and their caregivers, this is a 90-minute interactive workshop to develop skills to successfully interact with physicians and other health care professionals for the highest-quality dementia care possible.

• “Making Sense of Memory Loss” – a five-part program series for family members of people in the early stages of memory loss that provides an overview of memory loss and how it progresses, strategies for caregiving, communicating, adjusting to changing roles and relationships and planning for the future. 

"Maintain Your Brain™: How to Live a Brain Healthy Lifestyle" – for everyone interested in brain health—particularly baby boomers, this 90-minute interactive workshop features information on how the brain works, as well as strategies and scientifically rooted advice on lifestyle choices to keep memory sharp, including challenging mental activities, being physically active, engaging in social interactions and adopting a brain-healthy diet.  The workshop includes exercises, activities and take-home reference materials.  The health of our brains plays a critical role in almost everything we do, from thinking, feeling and remembering, to working, playing and even sleeping.  The good news is there is a lot we can do to help keep our brains healthier as we age. 

Professional Training Institute Offerings
The Alzheimer’s Association Professional Training Institute offers interactive, cutting edge educational opportunities and practical resources for new and seasoned professionals working with people affected by Alzheimer’s to gain essential skills and expertise about the latest and state-of-the-art Alzheimer care practices. 

• “Activity Based Alzheimer Care: Building a Therapeutic Program” is a one-day interactive training for professionals, who have a basic understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, and whose primary job responsibilities include activity program design and implementation, to build individualized activity programs.  Participants develop skills in assessment and program design, including: identifying meaningful and appropriate activities; understanding factors that affect the accuracy of assessments; choosing the right program style; developing programs for a variety of abilities; task analysis; strength-based programming and activity adaptations.  Participants also receive a 116-page manual.  The program is pre-approved for seven clock hours of continuing education through the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP) and for .6 CEUs through the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA).

• “Illinois Dementia Care Train the Trainer Program” will provide participants with the information, techniques and tools to present four in-services to direct care staff.  The program is offered in a six-hour, “train-the-trainer” format addressing key aspects of providing care to those with dementia, including: the basics of Alzheimer’s disease; how to communicate with someone with Alzheimer’s; understanding challenging behavior; and activity-based care.