Alzheimer’s Association offers series to ’empower’ caregivers

The Alzheimer’s Association is offering a new education series, The Empowered Caregiver, from 1-2 p.m. Friday at the Center for Creative Living, 3501 Elsie Hamm Dr.

Also known as “Building Foundations of Caregiving,” the series will run through May and will include programs on supporting independence, effective communication, and care and support services, according to a press release.

There are nearly 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today, including more than 70,500 in Oklahoma and 108,000 unpaid caregivers who provide roughly 189 million hours of unpaid care each year, the release said. Oklahoma caregivers provided an estimated $3 billion of unpaid care annually.

“The Association’s Empowered Caregiver series provides important information for caregivers on how to navigate the responsibilities of caring for someone with dementia,” Carey Lee, director of Programs for the Oklahoma Chapter said. “Caregiving can be incredibly difficult and we are here to provide support and resources to everyone who needs them.”

The series is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required. To register, visit alz.org/crf all the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 helpline at (800) 272-3900.