Rockwall County caregivers invited to free dementia behavior webinar
Hallucinations and sudden paranoia can turn a quiet night at home into a crisis. A free July 9 webinar will show Rockwall caregivers how to respond safely and calmly.
The program, Why Does Dementia Sometimes Cause Hallucinations, Delusions, and Paranoia?, will run Thursday, July 9, from 10 to 11 a.m. CDT through the WellMed Caregiver Teleconnection. Meals on Wheels Senior Services of Rockwall County is promoting the free online session for family caregivers, health professionals and community members who want practical help with dementia-related behaviors.
The session will cover what dementia is and move into behaviors that can be most unsettling at home, including hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and delirium. It will also offer tips for handling those moments in a positive way that supports both the person living with dementia and the caregiver.
Lucy Barylak, MSW, will lead the webinar. She has a master’s degree in social work from McGill University, founded a multiservice respite program for family caregivers and received a Queen’s Jubilee Award.
Meals on Wheels Senior Services provides information and resources on Alzheimer’s, dementia, housing options, legal issues, in-home services, end-of-life issues and palliative care. The nonprofit also hosts an annual caregiver conference that is free and open to the public.
Illness or medicine can sometimes trigger hallucinations or delusions. Severe symptoms should prompt a medical evaluation, especially if there is risk of self-harm or harm to a caregiver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alzheimer’s accounts for 60% to 80% of dementia cases and nearly 7 million Americans are living with the disease.
Texas caregivers face 459,000 people living with Alzheimer’s in the state, 1.3 million caregivers, 1.9 billion unpaid care hours and $35.6 billion in annual caregiver costs, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Texas public-health page. For help with the webinar, caregivers can call 1-866-390-6491 or email caregiverteleconnection@wellmed.net.
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