CLASS # 1

MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

§        STIMULUS ACTIVITY:  Who Are We?
Objective:  Group Members (GMs) [also referred to as caregiver (CG)] learn what they do/do not have in common with each other.

Description---Ups and Downs: Group Leader (GL) asks several questions pertaining to things such as family order, place of birth, cultural group, number of people living in the home, number of years dealing with family member having dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), etc. GMs stand or remain seated depending upon their identification with the question.

Description---Pairs:  GMs pair up for five minutes and tell 3 things about themselves that describe them as individuals. Pairs come back to circle and introduce each other to the group.

 

§        GL welcomes GMs and gives them a written outline of what to anticipate in the 10 sessions of this group. GL reviews format, goals, expectations, and rules of confidentiality. GL invites GMs to share what they hope to gain from this class.

 

§        GMs complete the short pre-evaluation assessment. GL takes up. This evaluation will also be given as a post-evaluation measure at the end of the final class session.

 

§        Fishbowl for the Doctor:  GMs write a question they may want to ask the physician about their care receiver (CR)’s illness and place in bowl.

 

§        TODAY’S TOPIC:  WHAT IS DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
SPEAKER: MEDICAL DOCTOR SPECIALIZING IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE. After speaker delivers talk, question and answer session takes place using fishbowl questions.

 

§        Break

 

§        TALK-IT-OUT: GMs use the second hour of class to talk out any problems, share information, ask questions, etc.

 

§        HOMEWORK:  GMs are asked to journal at least one paragraph at the end of each day in the coming weeks that reflects on that day’s events in their lives. Periodically, the GL will ask members to volunteer comments to the class about this process (not the actual words that they journal, but their feelings about the daily activity itself).  GMs are asked this week to identify some major stressors in their care giving situation.

 

§        POST-SESSION EVALUATION:  At end of each class, GMs will take one or two minutes to write on a note card provided by the GL concerning what they thought helped about today’s session and/or what they thought would improve the session. GL uses these evaluations to improve their approach and further aid GMs.