Caregiver Conferences
The Utah Geriatric Education Consortium (UGEC) programs also aim to improve the care of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) through academic, career development, and community-based education for direct care workers, families, and health professionals. The UGEC provides community-based dementia caregiver conferences to community participants in geographically diverse urban and rural locations. Planning and implementation of these two additional conferences are conducted with collaboration among community partners, including the Utah Department of Health, Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services, and the Utah State Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The conferences topics included: 1) Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease; 2) Taking Care of the Caregiver; 3) Goals of Care Discussions; and 4) Help for Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia in Their Homes and Communities.
Past Caregiver Conferences:
2/22/23 - Caregiver Conference - St George, UT
For this Caregiver Conference in Southern Utah, UGEC collaborated with Five County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) on this event for residents from the five counties served by the AAA. Other partners included the Utah Department of Health & Human Services Aging and Adult Services, Alzheimer’s Association Utah Chapter and the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) Veteran Service Officer (VSO) training program that helps veterans determine eligibility for, and enroll in VA benefit programs. Topics included: UGEC programs; AAA community-based programs; dementia, depression, and delirium screening; understanding/responding to dementia-related behaviors; caregiver grief; VA healthcare enrollment; and VA caregiver support programs. The conference was held in-person in one county with 92 attendees. Additionally 12 individuals joined the conference remotely.
Conference Presentations' Slide Decks:
Five County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) - Carrie Schonlaw, SSW and Sheri Reber, SSW
Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behavior - Raven Albertson, BS, MA
Building Support Networks and Utilizing Technology - Kate Nederostek, MGS, CDP
Screening for the 3D's: Dementia, Depression, and Delirium - Randall Rupper, MD, MPH
VA Caregiver Support Program - Andrew Wittwer, LCSW, MPA
VA Healthcare Enrollment - Janeil Esplin, VSO, SSW
10/22/22 - Caregiver Conference - Ephraim, UT
UGEC collaborated with Six County Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to provide a hybrid Dementia Caregiver Conference to residents from the six counties served by the AAA. Other partners included the Alzheimer’s Association Utah Chapter and the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) Veteran Service Officer (VSO) training program that helps veterans determine eligibility for, and enroll in VA benefit programs. Topics included: UGEC programs; AAA community-based programs; dementia, depression, and delirium screening; understanding/responding to dementia-related behaviors; caregiver grief; VA healthcare enrollment; and VA caregiver support programs. The conference was held in-person in one county with 65 attendees. An additional 10 senior centers streamed the conference.
05/18/22 - Virtual Caregiver Conference - Surviving and Thriving During COVID
The University of Utah College of Nursing Utah Geriatric Education Consortium (UGEC) and the Family Caregiving Collaborative hosted a special virtual retreat showcasing the impact of COVID-19 on caregivers and the resilience tools of getting past COVID. Keynote speakers: Heather Snyder, PhD, Vice President, Medical & Scientific Relations Alzheimer's Association; and Kathie Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT, FGSA, APHSW-C, Director Caring Connections: A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program, University of Utah College of Nursing.
The recording for the Virtual Caregiver Conference can be found HERE.
05/19/21 - Virtual Caregiver Conference, Expressions of Caregiving, Art Show and Panel on Utah Resources for Family Caregivers
Utah Geriatric Education Consortium (UGEC) collaborated with the Family Caregiving Collaborative, University of Utah College of Nursing, to host a virtual “Expressions of Caregiving” event for caregivers of people with dementia. This event will also included a keynote address by the internationally renowned artist, Tony Luciani.
Tony Luciani picked up a camera in 2014 to document his aging mom’s struggle with dementia, and it was the imaginative expression of the collaboration that propelled his work internationally. After over forty years as a full-time painter, Luciani, has garnered worldwide attention with this four-year-long photography series. Their voyage of discovery, expressing the benefits of inclusion and participation within a creative medium, has gone beyond the boundaries of recognizing it as just a personal visual diary. The world has noticed, and the outpouring of emotional applause for such an undertaking has transported this creative endeavor into a much broader social awareness.
During this Virtual Caregiver Conference, there was also a Virtual Gallery of Caregivers' Art, and a panel discussion with dementia experts on caregiver resources in Utah.
The recording for the Virtual Caregiver Conference can be found HERE.