Caregiving is often a stressful experience, which is why caregivers, like their patients, need care too.
One way to get such care is through group classes specifically dedicated to providing resources and skills to individuals caring for a loved one with dementia.
Those types of courses were recently highlighted in an NPR story, “From Gloom to Gratitude: 8 Skills To Cultivate Joy.” It features the findings of a new study, published in Health Psychology, which analyzed the effects of a 6-week course for caregivers. The findings revealed that the course may help with participants’ depression and anxiety.
A few people in the PMC community brought the article to the attention of PMC Associate Director of Social Work Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW. One asked: “Can you help me find a similar course?”
PMC offers a seven-week, psycho-educational caregiver class to help caregivers develop skills to better help both themselves and their loved ones cope with the daily challenges of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Topics include: understanding and managing behavior and emotions, learning how to communicate effectively to access needed help, and understanding how to plan medical, legal, and financial next steps.
Although our spring 2019 course has concluded, we will be launching another program in the fall. The class is open to anyone caring for someone with dementia of any stage.
Fall 2019 dates will be announced in the summer. If you are interested in the class, we encourage you to contact Alison Lynn at 215-360-0257 or alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu.
Recent Event
PMC Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Clinical Fellow Lauren McCollum, MD, (center) presented an abstract during the 71st annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia. Her abstract was titled, “Cognitive Profiles in Amyloid-Positive Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease with and without Tau.” She discusses the findings of her work and the takeaway for readers in an interview with MedicalResearch.com.
Job Opportunity
We’re seeking a Clinical Research Coordinator A to support the research and administrative activities of the Penn Program on Precision Medicine for the Brain, led by Jason Karlawish, MD, and a team of faculty collaborators and research staff. This group examines the ethical, legal, and social issues related to the aging brain with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease. Current research focuses on understanding the experiences of individuals with ‘pre-clinical’ Alzheimer’s disease and the social and cultural transformations of Alzheimer’s disease. For more information and to apply, click here.
Upcoming Events
The next Memory Café will be held on Friday, May 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Old City. Svitanya, an Eastern European women’s vocal group, will be performing. Memory Café is exclusively for people with memory problems, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their partners/families. The program is free. Please RSVP to Alison Lynn at 215-360-0257 or alison.lynn@uphs.upenn.edu. All 2019 dates are posted here.
PMC Co-Director Jason Karlawish, MD, will be holding a free discussion on how your lifestyle affects your brain as you age. Learn what activities are effective in protecting your brain health and how and when to do them. It will be held on Monday, May 20 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Ralston Wellness Center, 3615 Chestnut St. The program and lunch are free, though registration is required. To RSVP, call 215-386-2984 or email contact@ralstoncenter.org.
Sincerely,
The PMC Communications Team
Terrence Casey, Joyce Lee, Janissa Delzo, Linnea Langkammer, and Sharnita Midgett