Dementia and Caregiver Newsletter |
April 2022 | Ashland, Bayfield, Iron, Price and Sawyer Counties |
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Whenever you see a button that looks like this in the Newsletter: |
Click on it to be directed to a different website for more information! |
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What is the Aging and Disability Resource Center? |
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We are a no-cost, single point of contact for information and assistance related to aging or adults living with a disability. We serve residents of Wisconsin's Ashland, Bayfield, Iron, Price and Sawyer Counties, and members of the Bad River, Lac Courte Oreilles and Red Cliff Tribes.
Our Mission: To provide choices to meet the challenges of life's journey.
Our Purpose: To provide information and assistance on a broad range of programs and services for seniors and adults with disabilities. The ADRC helps people understand the various long-term care options available to them, serves as the access point for publicly-funded long-term care, helps people apply for programs and benefits, and helps make connections to community resources.
Contact Us: 1-866-663-3607
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What is a Dementia Care Specialist? |
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The Dementia Care Specialist Program supports people with dementia and their caregivers in order to ensure the highest quality of life possible while living at home. In order to accomplish this, the dementia care specialists (DCS):
- Provide free information and assistance to adults with memory or cognitive concerns, or who have been given a dementia diagnosis.
- Provide information and support to family members and friends who are caregivers
- Help develop dementia-friendly communities where people with dementia can remain active and safe, and caregivers feel supported
- Train other staff at ADRCs and other county and municipal offices to be dementia - capable
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For more information, please contact the ADRC of the North at: 1-866-663-3607 |
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Introducing Your Three Dementia Care Specialists! |
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Ellie Webb
My name is Ellie, and I am originally from the Ashland area! I graduated from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse with my Bachelor's degree in Public Health and Community Health Education. I have a heart for our aging population, and spent 3 years working as a CNA in a nursing home while I attended college. I love to spend time outdoors, reading, and with my two cats: Hamilton and Bruno. I am thankful that I get this opportunity to support caregivers, and those living with Dementia, in an area that I love to call home!
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Joanie Zecherle
Hi! Originally from Eau Claire, when my mother needed some extra support, I decide to move from AZ to the Northwoods, an area and community I enjoy!
I am excited to be given the privilege to serve Sawyer county residents as a part-time Dementia Care Specialist. My experiences lead me here: with a BA in Human Health Studies – interdisciplinary study of whole-person care – from Arizona State University; as a community liaison for large county hospice offering dementia and palliative care education and resources to the general public; and as a health advocate for a rural not-for-profit agency offering quality of life services and connections for those living with dementia and aging challenges.
Besides discovering ways to create a Dementia Friendly Sawyer, I will be visiting with lots of family all over the state, continuing my lifelong learning pursuits, and trying out new outdoor activities that were not in the desert! I look forward to working for you!
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Shea O'Rourke
I worked as an Account Manager for United Van Lines for several years, where I established client and customer relationships in the St. Louis, MO and Denver, CO metropolitan areas. Eventually, I decided to go back to school and get into the Healthcare Industry where I received a degree in Radiology Technology and a Master's in Health Administration. I became certified as an EMT and a Radiology Technologist while going to work as an X-Ray Tech for several years in the Madison/Fort Atkinson, WI and St. Louis, MO areas. I spent a few years working as a Revenue Cycle Manager in the surgical field and shifted into selling/managing/implementing PACS (Radiology - Picture Archive Communication) systems into hospital organizations/systems as a Healthcare Information Technology Consultant. As our jobs permitted it, my wife and I decided to relocate to Phillips, WI approximately two years ago to be closer to family.
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Community Event Calendars: |
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Check out the calendars below to stay up to date on events going on in our communities! |
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Music is profoundly linked to personal memories. Even for people living with advanced dementia, music can tap deep emotional recall. Beloved music often calms chaotic brain activity and enables the listener to focus on the present moment, and connect with others.
For more information, and to learn how to enroll in this FREE program, call the ADRC at:
1-866-663-3607
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Photo from the last week of our last Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class held in Iron River! |
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If you are unable to take the Powerful Tools for Caregivers Class at the above listed time, but are still interested in the class, call 715-682-7004 ext. 153 to reserve your space on the waitlist for our next class!
Date and time To Be Determined
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Educational Opportunities |
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Check out these publications from the National Institute on Aging! |
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Dementia Friends is a global movement to change the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. To date, there are 2,726 Dementia Friends, 219 Dementia Champions, and 53 Dementia Friends Master Trainers in Wisconsin. Founded in the United Kingdom, Dementia Friends was brought to Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute in 2018. Dementia Friends Wisconsin is for anyone interested in making a positive difference in the lives of people living with dementia. To learn more and schedule a dementia friends session for you or your business, call the ADRC-N at
1-866-663-3607
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Are you interested in providing respite care to individuals with varying disabilities and ages across the lifespan? Do you want a job that lets you set your own schedule and wages? The Respite Care Association of Wisconsin offers free respite care provider training courses to help you become a certified respite care worker in the state of Wisconsin!
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Trualta is an online portal that helps caregivers develop skills and find local resources, all from the comfort and safety of home, whenever it works for them.
The modules within Trualta teach caregivers how to safely handle hands-on care, connect families with reliable support agencies, and offer information and video training from experienced professionals in a quick and easy format.
Trualta is easy to use on a computer, laptop or tablet and is available at no cost to Wisconsin caregivers thanks to a partnership with WI DHS and GWAAR (Greater WI Agency on Aging Resources).
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This FREE training is intended for family caregivers of people with
Alzheimer’s Disease or other dementia.
The symptoms of dementia include changes in behavior that can be difficult for family members to understand. This presentation discusses basic information about dementia and describes strategies for family caregivers to consider when providing care to someone who has changes in their behavior as a result of dementia. It also includes information on how to support family members who are providing care for a person with dementia, and how to take care of yourself as a family caregiver.
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Feel free to share the information in this newsletter with anyone and everyone! Be on the lookout for the next edition of our newsletter in July 2022!
Ellie Webb, CHES®
Shea O'Rourke, MHA
Joanie Zecherle
Dementia Care Specialists
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Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North |
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