Support group to feature dementia care specialists, writer

Nolan

Caregivers of persons with dementia in Guam and the rest of Micronesia will have an opportunity this month to hear from world-renowned dementia care specialists affiliated with Positive Approach to Care.

Leon-Guerrero

Teepa Snow, a registered and licensed occupational therapist and a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, will present on “The Typical Progression of Dementia and How to Help” this Saturday, and applied gerontologist Dr. Beth Nolan will present on “Understanding the Different Dementias” on Saturday, June 25. The sessions will be online via Zoom, and Snow and Nolan will be available after their presentations to answer questions from the group participants.  

Snow

Also this month, two online dementia support group sessions will feature special presentations on “Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care” with local writer Jillette Torre Leon-Guerrero. Leon-Guerrero will share stories about her father’s life growing up in Guam in the 1930s and ‘40s, along with live readings from her book Coming of Age in War-Torn Guam: The WWII Memoirs of Justo Torre Leon Guerrero. These sessions are specially designed to help caregivers learn to make meaningful connections with older adults and persons with dementia by embracing the oral storytelling traditions of Pacific island cultures, including sharing life stories and family memories.

The presentations are part of the ongoing online support groups for family caregivers of persons with dementia being conducted by the Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program of the University of Guam School of Health. 

The complete schedule of support group sessions in June is as follows: 
CARES End-of-Life Dementia Care – Module 2: The CARES Approach
■ 6pm – 8pm,
Wednesday, June 8 
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/92072878067 
“The Typical Progression of Dementia and How to Help” with Teepa Snow 
■ 8am – 10am, 
Saturday, June 11  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/91243370958 
“Reminiscence Therapy in Dementia Care” with Jillette Torre Leon-Guerrero
■ 6pm – 8pm,
Wednesday, June 15  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/92072878067 
■ 10am – noon, 
Saturday, June 18  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/91243370958 
CARES End-of-Life Dementia Care – Module 3: Decision Making at the End of Life
■ 6pm – 8pm,
Wednesday, June 22  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/92072878067 
“Understanding the Different Dementias” with Dr. Beth Nolan 
■ 8am – 10am, Satur
day, June 25 
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/91243370958 
CARES End-of-Life Dementia Care – Module 4: Comfort Care
■ 6pm – 8pm,
Wednesday, June 29  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/92072878067 
CARES End-of-Life Dementia Care – Module 5: Emotional and Spiritual Support
■ 10am – noon, 
Saturday, July 2  
■ Zoom link: https://
zoom.us/j/91243370958 
 
Ongoing dementia support groups The GWEP dementia support group sessions are held remotely on Zoom every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, year-round. The sessions are free of charge to partners, family members, and other caregivers of persons with dementia who have ties to Guam and the Micronesian region. 
For more information, contact Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez at (671) 735-2883 or gwep.tgss@triton.uog.edu or Rhoda Orallo at (671) 735-3277 or r.orallo@hspguam.com. (PR)