January 2018                                                               



REST is booking training events for 2018. 
Contact Lois Sheaffer to learn more about custom training packages.
lsheaffer@restprogram.org
630-397-5655



We want to hear from you!
We are collecting news for the next issue of REST Around the Nation. Contact Lois Sheaffer at lsheaffer@restprogram.org
to share your information.



See our latest Train-the-Trainer courses here.




Take the REST Essentials online course to gain a strong command of the ten core competencies of respite. See more
.



Main Story Headline

REST announces the winners of the
 REST Training Challenge!

During November, REST Trainers from across the country trained 112 REST Companions to provide respite care and support to caregivers. Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest for REST Trainers and states to train the most Companions during N ational Family Caregivers Month.  
We'd like to congratulate the winners:  the state of Minnesota, and Serenity Walker, from Bemidji, Minn.!

State Updates
Minnesota
REST Trainers at several agencies hosted Companion trainings through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Sixty-two  Companions were trained on Nov. 7, 15, 17 and 18,  in St. Paul, Granite Falls, Warren and Bemidji.

A Companion training will take place on Jan. 29
at the  Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Adult Day Services Center , Cass Lake.  See more  information
 
Nevada
A Companion course will be held at Humboldt General Hospital Winnemucca, beginning on Jan. 22. The class will be offered in parts or one full day. More information here .

A Train-the-Trainer event will take place on Jan. 30-31,
in Las Vegas, through Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.  See more information .
 
Nevada Rural Counties RSVP   trained 16 Companions on Nov. 16 , at the Gold Dust West Hotel, Carson City.
 
Legacy Home Care trained seven new Companions on Nov. 9. Legacy, a non-medical home care agency in Clark County, provides respite care and a wide range of other in-home care services.
 
A REST Trainer published an article in News4Nevada about the benefits of becoming a REST Companion . "All in all, the REST format is a win-win situation as you discover truths about yourself and also bestow a gift of time and companionship to someone else," she wrote.  See her full article .
 
Mississippi
Registration is underway for a Train-the-Trainer event on Jan. 30-31 , in Flowood, through the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Learn more .
 
The Central Mississippi Planning and Development District trained seven Companions, on Nov. 2, in Jackson. See photos.
 
Michigan
A Train-the-Trainer course will take place on Jan. 23-24, in Escanaba, through the Upper Peninsula Commission on Area Progress (UPCAP). Register here
 
Twenty-two individuals completed two Companion courses, recently held  through UPCAP. The next class will take place on Jan. 8 and 9, at Copper Country Mental Health Institute, Houghton.
 
Florida
A Train-the-Trainer event will take place on Jan. 9-10 , at Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County , Boynton Beach, through the Special Needs Advisory Coalition . The goal of the training event is to improve ties within the community by offering workshops to those who provide companionship to caregivers, and to identify needs of caregivers in the community in which they belong.
 
New York
Four new Companions were trained in REST Essentials on Nov. 6, at Broome County Senior Center (BCSC), Endwell, through the New York State Caregiving and Respite Coalition (NYSCRC).
 
A Companion course will take place on Jan. 20 , at BCSC, through NYSCRC. See information
 
A Train-the-Trainer course will take place on March 22-23 , at BCSC, through NYSCRC.  See details .
 
Drop-off respite options in the state are growing, thanks to many faith-based programs that leverage the power of volunteers in their communities .  These programs are providing many hours of quality respite, allowing caregivers to take a little time for themselves. For a list of faith-based respite programs, click here. For a list of programs in Erie County, click here.  

Tennessee
Nashville Public Radio featured several caregivers who have benefited from respite care through the Tennessee Respite Coalition. Listen to the broadcast. The Tennessee Respite Coalition provided more than 48,000 hours of respite care for 350 family caregivers, in 2017.
 
Senior Companion volunteers from the Tennessee Respite Coalition have started using the Music and Memory program while providing respite care. Through the program, volunteers set up personalized music playlists, delivered on iPods and other digital devices, for those in their care. The musical favorites can tap deep memories, not lost to dementia, and help participants to converse, socialize and stay present.

A labama
The Alabama Cares Program provides caregivers with education, respite, and supplemental services. Click here to find the Cares Program in each of the state's counties.

Family caregivers are invited to "The Game of LIFE ," a fun-filled, educational workshop that navigates the caregiving world by way of play. The event takes place on Jan. 12, at the Baldwin County Commission Central Annex auditorium, Robertsdale. See details.

Caregiver College will take place on Jan. 11 , at Somerby of Mobile, through the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission Area Agency on Aging. Topics will include "Dementia 101," "Preparing to Care - Starting the Conversation," and "Coping as a Caregiver." Register here.

Kansas
Congratulations to Jessica Shank, Senior Companion Program Coordinator at Fort Hays State University, on being selected as the Trainer of the Quarter! Jessica has trained approximately 40 REST Companions and other community members. She feels the information in the REST course has helped her volunteers to become better educated in the area of respite care and to provide better care for those they serve. 

The 
Senior Companion Program  trained 10 Companions on Nov. 13 , at Fort Hays State University, Hays. See their photo .

Maine
The Legacy Corps program trained five Companions on Nov. 3, through Spectrum Generations, Augusta. Legacy Corps is a national AmeriCorps project that operates in nine states at 16 project sites, providing companionship respite for veterans of all ages, military families, and their caregivers.

Spectrum Generations will host the 20th annual Gene and Lucille Ice Fishing Derby , on Feb. 18, at the Muskie Center, Waterville. The event will benefit programs that help older adults and those with disabilities live healthy, happy and independent lives. See details.

Illinois
A REST Master Trainer course will take place this June , in Addison. The course will prepare experienced REST trainers to conduct the two-day Train-the-Trainer Course and to mobilize REST training throughout their state. See course details.
 
Missouri
The Respite Fund of the Alzheimer's Association Greater Missouri Chapter provides financial assistance to caregivers of individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The funds allow caregivers to take time to perform daily tasks and enjoy time with friends and family. Respite funds can also be used for products, equipment, safety services and legal guidance.  Learn more.

REST Program | (630) 397-5655 | lsheaffer@restprogram.org | http://www.restprogram.org
164 S. Prairie Avenue
Bloomingdale, IL 60108