• Brief review of statistics and the impact of dementia caregiving
• The spectrum of mental wellness and the importance of self-care as a dementia caregiver
• The role grief has on identity, healing, and support during and after dementia caregiving
• Review of mental health strategies to address stress, anxiety, trauma, and grief
• Helpful apps, community resources, and skills to help in healing

You are noticing brain changes in someone you are caring for, is it dementia?
What does normal healthy brain aging look like?
How can we better connect with and support those we care for who are living with dementia?
As we age, we all experience physical changes, including changes to our brains. With normal healthy aging, it may take us a bit longer to remember a name or to learn a new skill. Normal aging means slowing down a bit, NOT losing function!

Dementia is NOT a part of normal healthy aging. Dementia is the umbrella term for a group of symptoms caused by diseases or brain damage. It generally includes a loss of memory, problem-solving, language and other cognitive skills that are severe enough to interfere with daily living and independent life. There are over 50 different diseases that can cause dementia. The most common are Alzheimer’s Disease, vascular dementia (strokes), Lewy Body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and alcoholism. All the dementia-causing diseases damage brain cells, cause brain shrinkage, and lead to a loss of brain wiring. The entire brain is affected, not just the memory center. These brain changes are irreversible, progressive, and eventually terminal.

• Overview of BPSD and the different types, stats on dementia behaviors
• Types and prevalence of dementias
• When are medical interventions needed, including medications
• Nonpharmacological interventions for dementia behaviors
• The difference between common dementia behaviors, delirium, or a behavior crisis
• Be able to communicate behaviors accurately to the person’s doctor, why a medical workup and assessment is
important
• Understand the brain changes that occur with dementias that lead to BPSD
• Categories of Unmet Emotional and Physical Needs that Lead to Challenging Behaviors
• Tips and tools to understand, communicate with and optimize quality of life for a person experiencing
challenging behaviors

• Understand stress a little better and how to detect it
• Learn about and experience mindfulness
• Leave with practical knowledge of how you can bring mindfulness into your life

• Introduction to formal and informal mindfulness practices
• Techniques to practice at home
• How to bring mindfulness into your daily life
• How mindfulness can help with some of the emotional challenges of caregiving