New Help in Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s or Dementia

  • One of every eight Americans will be affected by Alzheimers or dementia, researchers reported to Congress in December. A Lunch N Learn gathering at the Pine Mountain Mercantile Saturday, Jan. 8 will inform about new opportunities and financial resources for providing care.

    One of every eight Americans will be affected by Alzheimers or dementia, researchers reported to Congress in December. A Lunch N Learn gathering at the Pine Mountain Mercantile Saturday, Jan. 8 will inform about new opportunities and financial resources for providing care.

Lunch ‘N Learn Comes to the Mountain

By Shelia Clark, Ph.D.

“Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia” is the topic for January 8 at the first of a new Lunch ‘N Learn series of free community seminars.

The U.S. Congress passed the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) on December 15, which will radically change services for our aging seniors in the future.

On Saturday, Jan. 8, you’ll learn about new health insurance laws and how you can get in-home services paid by Medi-Cal, Medicare and other funding sources. Your family member can be cared for by trained caregivers. You will meet professionals who will go to the home of your loved one to provide needed medical services as well as psychological counseling, care management and in-home supportive services.

Two local nonprofits, Let’s Live Local and California Family Counseling Network, have joined together to offer a monthly series of two-hour Lunch ‘N Learns that are a tasty way to get good healthful information while enjoying delicious food.

To start off the new year, we will meet on January 8, at noon, at the Mountain Mercantile in Pine Mountain, where you can purchase homemade soups, sandwiches, and daily baked fresh desserts, topped off with ice cream, for your munching enjoyment while you learn. Mountain Mercantile is located on Black Pine Trail, behind the Pine Mountain Inn.

The lunch of your choice is “dutch-treat.” The Lunch ‘N Learn ‘Informationals’ are always free, though we welcome donations to sponsor our public work.

This first session is one module in the American Red Cross series for certification as a family caregiver.

Call ahead to reserve your place, as seating is limited. Call Dr. Clark at 661-242-1583 to make your reservation for Saturday, Jan. 8 at noon.

This is part of the January 07, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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