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Programs and Services
24-hour toll-free Helpline
Our Helpline number, 1-800-491-2717, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Someone will be there to answer your questions, provide information, and make referrals to community services where they are available.
Family Support Groups
An Alzheimer's family support group is a regular gathering of caregivers, family and friends of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias to discuss issues related to the disease and to caring for someone who has it. The purpose of a support group is to provide a non-threatening and non-judgmental place for participants to express their feelings and talk about their needs and concerns. A support group is a forum for exchanging information, getting practical ideas, learning about local resources and developing new friendships. Participation in a support group also provides emotional support. You'll find people there who will listen and understand so you are no longer alone.
Click here to find the support group nearest you.
Care Consultation
Through the Helpline or in person, qualified staff provide support to families, offer accurate information, and explain the options for difficult situations families may be facing, equipping them to make informed decisions for their loved ones.
Caregiver Handbook
This handbook contains basic information on Alzheimer’s disease and caregiving, communicating techniques, understanding and managing behaviors, advance directives, and much more. Click here to purchase your own copy of this valuable caregiver resource.
Safe Return
This national wanderers’ program has a 99% success rate in returning registered individuals who have wandered and become lost. To get more information or register your loved one in Safe Return, please click here. If you are interested in setting up a registration site in your community or are in need of a scholarship to pay the registration fee, please call Melissa Gandee at 304-343-2717, or e-mail melissa.gandee@alz.org.
Respite fund
Our Northern Regional office has a respite reimbursement program, funded
through United Way, for Harrison, Monongalia, and Preston Counties.You can find out more about the respite reimbursement fund by calling 1-800-491-2717 or 304-599-1159.
Newsletter
The Caregiver is a quarterly publication for caregivers and health care professionals. If you would like to be placed on the newsletter mailing list, please e-mail christina.young@alz.org, call 304-343-2717, or subscribe online.
Educational materials/information packets
An important element of our Helpline and Care Consultations, our information packets are filled with various brochures, pamphlets and flyers that cover all aspects of Alzheimer's disease and caring for someone with Alzheimer's.
Lending libraries
Each regional office has a small lending library of books and videos. They are available for loan on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no fee, but we do take credit card information in the event that a book or video is not returned in a reasonable amount of time. Click on the regional office name below to see an inventory of items in each library:
Chapter Office
Mid-Ohio Valley Office
Morgantown Office
Education conferences
Check the Upcoming Events page for a schedule of workshops and conferences.
Lunch and Learn
This is a program that takes information on Alzheimer’s disease into the workplace during employees’ lunch break. If you would like to schedule a Lunch and Learn at your workplace, call the regional office nearest you, or e-mail melissa.gandee@alz.org.
Expos/health fairs
The Chapter participates in health fairs and expos throughout the year. These include senior expos, statewide events and conferences, and local health fairs. Since we cannot participate in all events that we are invited to, we limit it to those that are most consistent with our mission, that reach the most people, that we can afford, and those that we have either staff or qualified volunteers to do for us. We are always looking for volunteers who are willing to staff health fairs in their areas. If you can help, please contact Laurel Kirksey at 304-343-2717, or e-mail laurel.kirksey@alz.org.
Training
Click Here for information about upcoming training opportunities.
Professional training and in-services
We provide training for health care professionals on a variety of topics related to Alzheimer’s disease and care of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Trainings range in length from one-hour in-services to full day workshops. The fee for training is $70 per hour plus travel expenses. For more information, a copy of our training brochure, or to schedule training for your facility or agency, please contact melissa.gandee@alz.org.
New Assisted Living Two-Hour Training Package
Be among the first to take advantage of our new assisted living training package! Designed specifically to satisfy new regulations that require two hours of dementia care training, our training package provides on-site training for your employees, workbooks for new staff who cannot attend the on-site training, one follow-up consultation with one of our program specialists, a free BAAG of Alzheimer's games and activities for your residents and certificates for all staff who complete the training. And, all for one price! Contact Melissa
Gandee at 800-491-2717 or email at melissa.gandee@alz.org for more information.
Partnering with Your Doctor Workshop
If you would like to assist us in planning a Partnering with Your Doctor Workshop in a community within our service area to help families plan for and make the most of their time with their loves ones’ doctors, please contact Melissa Gandee at 304-343-2717, or e-mail melissa.gandee@alz.org.
Caregiver Stress Workshop
Learn methods and techniques to handle caregiver stress in this unique workshop that can be tailored to your needs. Whether you are an employer or a caregiver, this workshop will help you cope. Contact Melissa Gandee at 800-491-2717 or email at melissa.gandee@alz.org for more information.
Activity Based Alzheimer Care
The Alzheimer’s Association developed “Activity-Based Alzheimer Care: Building a Therapeutic Program,” for activity professionals, with some of the nation’s leading activity experts in dementia care, to support care settings and caregiving staff in building therapeutic programs. Content and objectives are based on information and input from national focus groups, pilot programs, Association chapter representatives, and other national organizations. For more information, contact Melissa Gandee at 304-343-2717, or e-mail melissa.gandee@alz.org.
Hands on Dementia Experience
We offer this hands-on sensitivity training, developed by Second
Wind Dreams, to facilities, agencies, county aging programs, and community
and caregiver groups. Without giving much away to those who haven't had
the Experience, it gives individuals a glimpse of the physical difficulties
older adults experience and places participants in situations, for a brief
time, that may result in some of the confusion and resulting behaviors
experienced by people with dementia. To find out more or schedule your
company or organization for the Hands on Dementia Experience, please contact
Melissa Gandee at 304-343-2717, or e-mail melissa.gandee@alz.org.
Other
Choosing a Nursing Home
The process of evaluating and choosing a nursing home for your loved one with Alzheimer's disease can be confusing. Our tool, Choosing A Nursing Home: What to Look For, What to Ask can guide you through many of the questions you may have or may need to ask when visiting facilities. You can also visit the WV Health Care Association's website, www.wvhca.org for more information on selecting a long term care facility.
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