Support group for family caregivers of persons with dementia

Throughout the month of April, the Isa Psychological Services Center at the University of Guam will provide an opportunity for family caregivers to participate in an award-winning training and certification program for family caregivers of persons with dementia.

The educational program, titled CARES Dementia Care for Familie, was created by HealthCare Interactive, an organization that specializes in online training for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It offers practical strategies for family members caring for a loved one with dementia through an interactive format involving educational activities and interviews with dementia experts, family caregivers, and persons with dementia themselves.

The training program includes four modules that will be conducted online over a four-week period. Participants will have an opportunity to complete each of the program’s four modules on either a Wednesday evening or a Saturday morning. The first module, called Understanding Memory Loss, was already conducted last April 7 and April 10. The next modules are as follows:

Module 2: Living with Dementia:
• 6pm – 8pm on Wednesday, April 14
• 10am – Noon on Saturday, April 17

Module 3: Using the CARES Approach:
• 6pm – 8pm on Wednesday, April 21
• 10am – Noon on Saturday, April 24

Module 4: Keys to Success with CARES:
• 6pm – 8pm on Wednesday, April 28
• 10am – Noon on Saturday, May 1

Support group sessions throughout 2021

The CARES Dementia Care for Families training sessions are part of Isa’s ongoing online support groups for family caregivers of persons with dementia being conducted in collaboration with the UOG School of Health’s Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. Support group sessions will be held year-round in 2021. The sessions are free of charge to partners, family members, and other caregivers of persons with dementia throughout Micronesia. The support groups will be conducted remotely on Zoom during the pandemic.

What to expect

All support groups are client-centered and confidential. They provide a safe place to share the stresses and challenges, successes, and rewards of caring for a loved one with dementia with others who may be going through similar experiences. They also provide a forum for caregivers to participate in presentations led by health care professionals and other community members with expertise in caring for persons with dementia.
The support groups are facilitated by Iain Twaddle, director of Isa Psychological Services Center who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist; Rhoda Orallo, a social worker with Health Services of the Pacific who holds a master’s in social work; and Nikolas Gutierrez, a counselor with Isa who holds a bachelor’s in psychology.

How to participate

To attend a family caregiver online support group, use the following Zoom links, or call or email Dr. Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez at (671) 735-2883 or isa@triton.uog.edu or Rhoda Orallo at (671) 735-3277 or nfcspmgr@teleguam.net.
• Wednesday Support Groups (6pm – 8pm): https://zoom.us/j/92072878067
• Saturday Support Groups (10am – Noon): https://zoom.us/j/91243370958 (PR)