This award-winning program focuses on learning how to help persons with dementia with the fundamental activities of daily living (ADLs) across all stages of dementia. Participants will learn effective strategies to support persons with dementia who need assistance with ADLs such as bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, mouth care, and using the bathroom.

The training program includes ten modules: (1) Dementia and the CARES® Approach; (2) Creating Meaning in Activities of Daily Living; (3) Recognizing and Managing Pain; (4) Bathing; (5) Dressing; (6) Eating; (7) Grooming; (8) Mouth Care; (9) Using the Bathroom; and (10) Mobility, Transferring, and Positioning. Participants who complete all ten modules will receive a certificate of completion and will be eligible for CARES® Dementia Certification.

Upcoming modules in August: 

Module 1 – Dementia and the CARES® Approach:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, August 11, or 
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, August 14

Module 2 – Creating Meaning in Activities of Daily Living:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, August 25, or 
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, August 28

CARES® 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. All of the CARES® training programs were developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association and include evidence-based strategies grounded in the Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations.

Support group sessions

The CARES® Activities of Daily Living™ 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 are held remotely on Zoom every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, year-round in 2021. 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.

Upcoming support group sessions in August: 

Sharing Caregiver Stories and Finding Support:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, August 18
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, August 21

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 dementia care.

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:

• Wednesday Support Group (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.): https://zoom.us/j/92072878067 
• Saturday Support Group (10 a.m. – noon): https://zoom.us/j/91243370958

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For assistance or more information, call or email
Dr. Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez 
Tel: (671) 735-2883 
Emial:  isa@triton.uog.edu  

Rhoda Orallo 
Tel: (671) 735-3277 
Email: nfcspmgr@teleguam.net