Classes, education given on Alzheimer’s

COVID-19 is motivating people to expand learning in a virtual world. Two groups using online tools to provide education about Alzheimer’s are the Alzheimer’s Association and Butler County University of Missouri Extension.

The Alzheimer’s Association is working remotely to serve 86 of Missouri’s counties, which includes Butler County. The group is hosting virtual education classes perfect for anyone looking to make a healthy change in the new year. Virtual classes are designed to help people make healthier lifestyle choices which can help reduce their risk of dementia in the new year and beyond. There are four more planned for January, with additional classes expected at later dates.

For centuries, it has been known the health of the brain and the body are connected, according to Alzheimer’s Association program manager Jeremy Koerber. Today, science is able to provide insights into how to make lifestyle choices to keep the brain and body healthy as one ages.

At any age, there are lifestyle habits one may adopt to help maintain or even potentially improve brain health as one ages and possibly delay the onset of cognitive decline.

“Recent studies are showing that making small lifestyle changes can have huge effects on your brain health,” Koerber said. “Cutting back on alcohol and smoking and engaging in physical activity, staying socially active, and eating a proper diet on a consistent basis may reduce your risk of dementia by as much as 60%. Even adopting just one lifestyle change decreases the risk of developing dementia by 22%. This session can help guide people looking for a healthy New Year’s resolution in 2021 and beyond as they continue to age.”

Virtual classes will cover research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.

Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body, sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association, includes tips from the latest research and is designed for individuals of any age who are looking for information on ways to age as well as possible. The course is free and is being offered several times in January, but registration is required to receive a Zoom link.

Working along with the Alzheimer’s Association, John Fuller, Butler County Extension human development and family sciences specialist, is offering both Zoom and in-person classes on Alzheimer’s.

Jacob Simburger, the association’s communications manager, stressed the association’s helpline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone needing information about resources for classes or assistance as a patient or a caregiver may call anytime day or night.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

To find a course, visit alz.org/virtualeducationmo or call the Alzheimer’s 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. The association’s virtual workshops include:

• Dementia Conversations and COVID Tips.

• (Jan. 28) Dementia Conversations: Tips for breaking the ice with your family so you can address some of the most common issues that are difficult to discuss; going to the doctor for a diagnosis or medical treatment, deciding when to stop driving, and making legal and financial plans for future care.

• Effective Communication Strategies.

• Healthy Living for your Brain and Body: Learn about research in the areas of diet and nutrition, exercise, cognitive activity and social engagement, and use hands-on tools to help you incorporate these recommendations into a plan for healthy aging.

• Introduction to Alzheimer’s.

• (Jan. 27) 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s.

• (Jan. 25) Legal and Financial Planning.

• Living with Alzheimer’s Middle Stage - For Caregivers: In the middle stage of Alzheimer’s disease, those who were care partners now become hands-on caregivers. Join us for this class as we discuss helpful strategies to provide safe, effective and comfortable care in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s.

• Living with Alzheimer’s for Late Stage Caregivers: In the late stage of Alzheimer’s disease, care giving typically involves new ways of connecting and interacting with the person with the disease.

• (Jan. 26) Understanding and Responding to Dementia Related Behavior: Join us to learn to decode behavioral messages, identify common behavior triggers, and learn strategies to help intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease.

Locally, to learn more about the different topics on dementia offered on the second Thursday of the month until May, call the extension office at 573-686-8064 or email Fuller at fullerjc@missouri.edu.