This award-winning program focuses on learning how to help persons with dementia with the fundamental activities of daily living (ADLs) across all stages of dementia. Participants will learn effective strategies to support persons with dementia with bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, mouth care, and using the bathroom.

The training program includes 10 modules: (1) Dementia and the CARES® Approach; (2) Creating Meaning in Activities of Daily Living; (3) Recognizing and Managing Pain; (4) Bathing; (5) Dressing; (6) Eating; (7) Grooming; (8) Mouth Care; (9) Using the Bathroom; and (10) Mobility, Transferring, and Positioning. Participants who complete all 10 modules will receive a certificate of completion and will be eligible for CARES® Dementia Certification.

Upcoming modules in September: 

Module 3 – Recognizing and Managing Pain:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8 or
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 11

Module 4 – Bathing:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 22 or
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 25

CARES® was created by HealthCare Interactive®, an organization that specializes in online training for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. All of the CARES® training programs were developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association and include evidence-based strategies grounded in the Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations.

Support group sessions

The CARES® Activities of Daily Living™ training sessions are part of Isa’s ongoing online support groups for family caregivers of persons with dementia being conducted in collaboration with the UOG School of Health’s Guam/Micronesia Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. Support group sessions are held remotely on Zoom every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, year-round. The sessions are free of charge to partners, family members, and other caregivers of persons with dementia who have ties to Guam and the Micronesian region.

Upcoming support group sessions in September: 

Sharing Caregiver Stories and Finding Support:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 4

Guam Museum Virtual Tour – Part 2:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 18

Sharing Caregiver Stories and Finding Support:

• 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 29
• 10 a.m. – noon, Saturday, Sept. 2

What to expect

All support groups are client-centered and confidential. They provide a safe place to share the stresses and challenges, successes, and rewards of caring for a loved one with dementia with others who may be going through similar experiences. They also provide a forum for caregivers to participate in presentations led by health care professionals and other community members with expertise in dementia care.

The support groups are facilitated by Iain Twaddle, director of Isa Psychological Services Center who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and is a licensed clinical psychologist; Rhoda Orallo, a social worker with Health Services of the Pacific who holds a master’s in social work; and Nikolas Gutierrez, a counselor with Isa who holds a bachelor’s in psychology.

How to participate

To attend a family caregiver online support group, use the following Zoom links or call or email Dr. Iain Twaddle or Nikolas Gutierrez at (671) 735-2883 or isa.tgss@triton.uog.edu or Rhoda Orallo at (671) 735-3277 or nfcspmgr@teleguam.net.

• Wednesday Support Group (6 p.m. – 8 p.m.): https://zoom.us/j/92072878067
• Saturday Support Group (10 a.m. – noon): https://zoom.us/j/91243370958

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services as part of an award totaling $749,538 with zero percentage financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the US Government. Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program Award #: 5 U1QHP33078‐03‐00.

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