CLEARFIELD – If you’ve had a family member or loved one who has had dementia, have you ever wondered what they are experiencing?
A free training, called Dementia LIVE, is being sponsored by the Clearfield County Area Agency on Aging Inc. and will help participants understand how people with dementia perceive the world.
Dementia is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental processes caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes and impaired reasoning.
The training is being held March 29, at the Knights of Columbus, 512 Arnold Ave., in Clearfield. It runs from 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., but participants experience the training in half-hour sessions.
Dementia Live is being conducted by The Pennsylvania Behavioral Health Coalition, an organization whose mission is to promote wellness, enjoyment and engagement in life, including care, services and community support that respect the behavioral health needs and values of older Pennsylvanians and their caregivers through training and other programs.
In this high-impact Dementia Live experience, participants will be immersed into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with a cognitive impairment and sensory change.
Participants will be empowered to build new bridges of communication. To elevate person-centered care practices, the target audience must first gain an understanding of what dementia is, and how the individual with dementia feels when challenged with cognitive and sensory changes.
Dementia Live is experiential learning that simulates cognitive and sensory impairment, giving participants a real-life simulation of what it must be like to live with dementia.
This training is for direct care staff, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, college students or anyone working with individuals with dementia.
Dementia Live is not appropriate for people who appear to have cognitive impairment, anxiety, poor balance or impaired mobility that requires the use of a cane, walker or wheelchair and or who have severely impaired hearing or vision.
Please note that participants will be required to sign a waiver/release agreement to participate in this training.
For more information, contact the Pennsylvania Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition at 717-857-3163. Online registration can be completed here.