Virtual support for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients is on the way amidst a virus pandemic.
Free webinar sessions are planned for July and August to provide emotional support and training for people in Nanaimo who are providing care for dementia patients.
The Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. said in a press release that it is partnering with geriatric psychiatrist and meditation teacher Elisabeth Drance to offer two online workshops.
“We are often distracted when we are in conversation with our family member – thinking about the next thing to get done, or the last challenging interaction we just had. This means that often we aren’t mentally present when trying to connect,” said Drance in the release. “I like to call this ‘mindless care’ and it often doesn’t go well.”
The first seminar, exploring the idea of mindfulness, takes place July 15 and the second session, about the skill of ‘self-compassion’ in building caregiver resilience, will be Aug. 5.
There are other webinars scheduled this summer, too. An overview of tips and strategies for families will take place July 22, a session about understanding how dementia affects a person’s brain and behaviour happens Aug. 12 and discussion of how communication is affected by dementia takes place Aug. 19.
All sessions start at 2 p.m. To register, visit http://alzbc.org/webinars.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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