Aware Senior Care Blog
Caregiving during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Educational Webinar Series
 AWARE SENIOR CARE AND FRIENDS WEBINAR SERIES Caregiving during the COVID-19 Pandemic  Living Well at Home: During the COVID-19 decree of “Stay at Home” 40-minute LIVE Webinar & Panel Q and A Recorded Webinar will also be available Tuesday April 14th at 12:00 Noon Under normal times, living at home independently can be difficult for a variety of reasons:
Now add in the restrictions and guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 by our government to “shelter at home” where we are to limit visitors and only accept services that are essential to healthcare. This only exacerbates the difficulty of living at home.
What can we do? Plenty.
Format: 20 minutes of content lead by Aware Senior Care followed by 20-minutes of town hall Questions and Answers.
Presenter and Panelists: We’ve assembled a panel of experts that have practices and experiences that can help people live life to the best of their abilities with support directly in the home or remotely through delivery services, phone calls and remote monitoring.
Expert panelists available to answer questions during our on-line webinar include:  Gina Murray, RN, BSN Aware Senior Care Presenter. Gina Murray is the co-founder and director of Aware Senior Care, an award-winning in-home care agency in Cary, North Carolina. She is a registered nurse with more than 30 years in the field of gerontology. Gina recently achieved a certification in Teepa Snows Positive Approach to Care as a Dementia Trainer. In May of 2019, Gina was honored by the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina with the Sherry Leigh Thomas Nurse of the Year Award.
Read More about Gina and Aware Senior Care  Ben P. Fischer, MD Dr. Fischer is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of adult diseases. Dr. Fischer earned his M.D. at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He opened Fischer Clinic March 1st of 2016 as a way to have a more direct relationship with his patients.
Read More about Dr. Fischer and the Fischer Clinic  Liisa Ogburn, Owner Aging Advisors NC Liisa is the owner of Aging Advisors NC. She brings both life experience and authority to this field. She has a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Public Health and Certificates in both “Fundamentals of Gerontology” and “Managing Health and Chronic Conditions in Older Adults” (University of Southern California at Davis).
Liisa also leads and contributes weekly to WRAL’s Aging Well column.
Read More about Lisa, Aging Advisors NC and WRAL Aging Well.  Michael Stickney Certified Care Manager Michael was born and has lived in Raleigh all his life. He received his Master’s Degree in Counseling from North Carolina Central University and his undergraduate Psychology degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
He began his professional career at a nonprofit (Community Partnerships) that assisted individuals with developmental disabilities in finding employment in the local community
 Marcia Jarrell, ED SarahCare Marcia owns and operates SarahCare Lake Boone Trail Adult Day Care Services. She is the Executive Director and a licensed nursing home administrator with many years of experience. She provides daily oversight and operational direction for a facility that caters to senior adults who live at home with their families and in need of day supervision due to cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s and other related dementia as well as caring for those with physical impairments.
 Kent Thompson Financial Advisor Kent Thompson is a Financial Advisor for Capitol Financial Solutions. Kent finds that his clients choose to work with him because of his knowledge, integrity, and commitment to helping people make good financial decisions. He provides a holistic approach to understanding Medicare, Social Security, Long Term Care and Retirement Income.
Read More about Kent and Capitol Financial Solutions.  Melanie Bunn Dementia Mentor/Coach/Consultant Melanie Bunn is a nurse, teacher, trainer, speaker, coach, consultant, support group facilitator, researcher, mom, daughter and sister. She combines these roles with a love of travel and a fear of boredom to create a way of supporting herself and her family while improving the lives of people with living with dementia, their families, and other care partners. She is associated with Dementia Alliance of North Carolina (formerly known as Alzheimer’s North Carolina), Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, Bunn Consulting, and Duke University School of Nursing.
Read More about Melanie and the Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care Organization.  Anne Marie Socha Founder and CEO Ann Marie is CEO and Founder of Silver Linings for Seniors providing family and individual counseling. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company.
While working as a therapist for the general population, she recognized the need for high-quality mental health services for seniors. This led her, along with her husband, Paul, to create Silver Linings for Seniors, Inc.
Read More about Anne Marie and Silver Linings for Seniors, Inc.  Dealing with the challenges of Dementia Care during the COVID-19 crises 40-minute LIVE Webinar & Panel with Q and A Recorded Webinar will also be available Thursday April 16th at 11:00 AM EST Tuesday April 21st at 11:00 AM EST Caregiving for a person with a form of dementia is already challenging. With the current COVID-19 crises, providing dementia care is even more challenging! The recent “stay at home” decree practicing social distancing has led to the total stoppage of group/social interactions. Plus, many caregivers will wear masks and other PPE that may alarm and confuse the person receiving care. We all know change is very difficult under normal circumstances.How do you or do you explain why activities have stopped? How do you adapt to the situation to make the person receiving care feel they are “participating” and not purely receiving? Before altering your dementia plan of care, it’s very important to study the stages of dementia. The first part of this seminar will leverage the Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care GEMSR model that recognizes the dynamic nature of the human brain and its abilities. The focus on the seminar will be on care techniques and tips for people in the Diamond, Amber and Ruby GEM stages.
This will be followed by a review of the caregiving guidelines from the CDC and the NC DHHS with respect to COVID-19:
Questions we will address:
A discussion on establishing new routines:
In the end, a caregiver’s primary goal should be on adapting to where they are in that given day.
Format: 30-minutes of content lead by Aware Senor Care and Latoya Galbreath, MS, OTR/L, CDP, Dementia Trained Consultant of Galberth Health, LLC. The session will conclude with a 10-minute question and answer session.
Presenters and Panelists will include: Gina Murray, RN, BSN Aware Senior Care Presenter. Gina Murray is the co-founder and director of Aware Senior Care, an award-winning in-home care agency in Cary, North Carolina. She is a registered nurse with more than 30 years in the field of gerontology. Gina recently achieved a certification in Teepa Snows Positive Approach to Care as a Dementia Trainer. In May of 2019, Gina was honored by the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina with the Sherry Leigh Thomas Nurse of the Year Award.
Read More about Gina and Aware Senior Care  Latoya Galberth Occupational Therapist and Certified Dementia Practitioner Presenter. Latoya Galberth is the CEO and founder of Galberth Health; a healthcare company that services the geriatric community with a unique focus on Alzheimer’s and dementia. Latoya is an occupational therapist who enjoys enhancing the quality of life and functional independence of every senior that she meets. She has served as a therapist for nearly 10 years with a growing love and passion for those diagnosed with mild to severe cognitive impairments. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she obtained both her Undergraduate and Master’s degree.
Read More about Latoya and Galberth Health.  Lisa Levine Programs Director Lisa Levine is the Director of Education for Dementia Alliance of North Carolina.
She is responsible for educational outreach to families, professionals, clergy, and law enforcement implemented through community workshops, regional conferences, health and wellness education, community awareness programs, and professional in-service training. In this role Lisa collaborates with state and county government agencies, colleges, other non-profits and service-related organizations.
Read More about Lisa and the Dementia Alliance of NC. Melanie Bunn Dementia Mentor/Coach/Consultant Melanie Bunn is a nurse, teacher, trainer, speaker, coach, consultant, support group facilitator, researcher, mom, daughter and sister. She combines these roles with a love of travel and a fear of boredom to create a way of supporting herself and her family while improving the lives of people with living with dementia, their families, and other care partners. She is associated with Dementia Alliance of North Carolina (formerly known as Alzheimer’s North Carolina), Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, Bunn Consulting, and Duke University School of Nursing.
Read More about Melanie and the Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care Organization.  Vivian McLaurin Care Manager Vivian McLaurin is a Certified Care Manager at Preferred Living Solutions. Vivian completed her undergraduate degree in Sociology at Meredith College. She holds a graduate certificate in Geriatric Care Management from the University of Florida and a National Certification in Care Management from NACCM. Quality care for older adults, support for family caregivers and aging in America are personal passions for Vivian. She has great appreciation for a diversity of cultures, especially as they relate to aging in families and communities, drawing on experience gained during her 25-year career in international public health.
Read More about Vivian and the Preferred Living Solutions.  What to Do When Your Elderly Parent Refuses Home Care 40-minute LIVE Webinar & Panel with Q and A Recorded Webinar will also be available Thursday April 23rd at 11:00 AM EST The focus of this panel is to answer questions from the audience on how to deal with resistance from a loved one that needs home care to life safely at home. Going into their sixth year of providing home care to the elderly, the owners and founders Tim and Gina Murray have been called by the sons and daughters of elderly parents with this issue. They would hear the following all the time:
Would you appreciate some advice from experts in the field of caring for the elderly on steps to take when aging parents refuse help? Attend this on-line Facebook broadcast & Zoom Q and A webinar. The 40-minute event will feature a 20-minute presentation on steps to take when an elderly parent refuses to help by Aware Senior Care followed by a 20-minute open question and answer panel with local RTP community experts in elder care.
Format: 20-minutes of content lead by Aware Senor Care and 20-minutes for Q&A.
Presenters and Panelists will include: Gina Murray, RN, BSN Aware Senior Care Presenter. Gina Murray is the co-founder and director of Aware Senior Care, an award-winning in-home care agency in Cary, North Carolina. She is a registered nurse with more than 30 years in the field of gerontology. Gina recently achieved a certification in Teepa Snows Positive Approach to Care as a Dementia Trainer. In May of 2019, Gina was honored by the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina with the Sherry Leigh Thomas Nurse of the Year Award.
Read More about Gina and Aware Senior Care  Angela Woodard Certified Care Manager Angela Woodard has been a Care Manager at Preferred Living Solutions since 2008. Prior to joining Preferred Living Solutions, Angela was a case manager/team leader for 10+ years at a non-profit foundation supporting people with brain injuries. Angela holds a BA in Psychology from Meredith College. Her deep experience in the human services arena makes her an indispensable resource to seniors and people with disabilities who need help living the lives they desire.
Read More about Angela and Preferred Living Solutions, Inc. Marcia Jarrell, ED SarahCare Marcia owns and operates SarahCare Lake Boone Trail Adult Day Care Services. She is the Executive Director and a licensed nursing home administrator with many years of experience. She provides daily oversight and operational direction for a facility that caters to senior adults who live at home with their families and in need of day supervision due to cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s and other related dementia as well as caring for those with physical impairments.
Anne Marie Socha Founder and CEO Ann Marie is CEO and Founder of Silver Linings for Seniors providing family and individual counseling. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company.
While working as a therapist for the general population, she recognized the need for high-quality mental health services for seniors. This led her, along with her husband, Paul, to create Silver Linings for Seniors, Inc.
Read More about Anne Marie and Silver Linings for Seniors, Inc.  Move & Stay Strong during the COVID-19 Pandemic 40-minute LIVE Webinar & Panel with Q and A Recorded Webinar will also be available Tuesday April 28th at 11:00 AM EST With the recent “stay at home” decree to lessen the spread of COVID-19, many people have become isolated in the homes. For residents in independent, assisted and skilled communities like my Mother Emily, residents basically stay in their rooms/small apartments 24/7. My mother has stopped her PT which included group sessions with a qualified and trained physical therapists doing exercises to maintain strength and flexibility.
Aware Senior Care has teamed with STEPS for Recovery’s owner and Physical Therapist Katie Stephens to talk and teach exercises that can be done in your room to maintain and improve strength and agility. Katie will conclude the seminar portion with inviting participants to exercise with her on a few simple and fun exercises. Katie will also provide the audience with a take home list of exercises.
Format: 30-minutes of content lead by Aware Senor Care and Steps for Recovery followed by a 10-minutes for questions and answers.
Presenters and Panelists will include: Gina Murray, RN, BSN Aware Senior Care Presenter. Gina Murray is the co-founder and director of Aware Senior Care, an award-winning in-home care agency in Cary, North Carolina. She is a registered nurse with more than 30 years in the field of gerontology. Gina recently achieved a certification in Teepa Snows Positive Approach to Care as a Dementia Trainer. In May of 2019, Gina was honored by the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina with the Sherry Leigh Thomas Nurse of the Year Award.
Read More about Gina and Aware Senior Care  Katie Stephens, PT STEPS for Recovery Presenter. Katie Stephens, PT, NCS is a 2000 graduate of East Carolina University. Together with her husband and physical therapist, Josh Olinick, Katie opened STEPS for Recovery in 2012. STEPS is a unique practice that focuses on neurologic recovery for individuals with stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and chronic pain. Services offered include physical, occupational and speech therapy and the practice philosophy focuses on individualized treatment to help clients meet their personal goals for life participation, going beyond basic functional activities to resuming personal goals including bike riding, golfing, and playing musical instruments to name a few.
Read More about Katie and STEPS for Recovery  Choosing a Good Home Care Agency – Questions to Ask 40-minute LIVE Webinar & Panel with Q and A Recorded Webinar will also be available Thursday April 30th at Noon EST Evaluating and choosing a great home care agency can be a daunting and exhausting experience. Before Tim and Gina started their own home care agency Aware Senior Care in 2014, they went through the process of finding a home care agency for Tim’s mother in upstate NY. Googling Home Care came up with 100s of choices.
Where do you start? What criteria should you evaluate home care with? What questions should be part of your evaluation process?
Attend this on-line Facebook Live and Zoom Q and A event that starts with 20-minutes of content from Tim drawing on the Aware Senior Care Blog “Choosing Home Care – Questions to Ask” followed by 20 minutes of Q and A to expert panelists that have helped with home care decisions and implementation.
Format: 20 minutes of presentation content lead by Aware Senior Care followed by a 20-minute town hall facilitated question and answers. Presenters and Panelists include: Tim Murray, CEO and Co-Founder Aware Senior Care Tim Murray is CEO and the co-founder of Aware Senior Care, an award-winning in-home care agency in Cary, North Carolina. Managing and leading the business aspects of Aware Senior Care, Tim is an alumnus of the Villanova University School of Engineering. He served our country as a U.S. Navy Submarine Officer and spent much of his career as an executive in the technology industry.
Read More about Tim and Aware Senior Care Angela Woodard Certified Care Manager Angela Woodard has been a Care Manager at Preferred Living Solutions since 2008. Prior to joining Preferred Living Solutions, Angela was a case manager/team leader for 10+ years at a non-profit foundation supporting people with brain injuries. Angela holds a BA in Psychology from Meredith College. Her deep experience in the human services arena makes her an indispensable resource to seniors and people with disabilities who need help living the lives they desire.
Read More about Angela and Preferred Living Solutions, Inc. Liisa Ogburn, Owner Aging Advisors NC Liisa is the owner of Aging Advisors NC. She brings both life experience and authority to this field. She has a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Public Health and Certificates in both “Fundamentals of Gerontology” and “Managing Health and Chronic Conditions in Older Adults” (University of Southern California at Davis).
Liisa also leads and contributes weekly to WRAL’s Aging Well column.
Read More about Lisa, Aging Advisors NC and WRAL Aging Well.  Scott Waterhouse Scott Waterhouse is Director of Information Services at Resources for Seniors with responsibility for overseeing the information services department, speaker bureau, and caregiver counseling. Scott has over 25 years of experience working with senior adults, caregivers, and health professionals. He is in charge of producing the agency’s annual Directory of Resources publication.
Scott is a gifted artist who used his talent to produce 15 drawings, poems, and prayers for an Alzheimer’s Awareness project called; “Alzheimer’s – Portraits and Memories” which toured the southeast and mid-west United States for 5 years.
Read More about Resources for Seniors. |
