Like so many family caregivers, Judi and Rachael Devaney came to caregiving out of love. With the help of the Alzheimer’s Family Support Center, this powerful mother-daughter duo spent several years caring for Judi’s mother Gigi throughout her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Years later, the Devaney women are still driven by the compassion that led them to caregiving in the first place and have joined the Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod team to offer The Savvy Caregiver Program region-wide.
As described on the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving website, “The Savvy Caregiver Program is designed to train family and professional caregivers in the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to handle the challenges of caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease and to be an effective caregiver. This 12-hour training, delivered in 2-hour sessions over a 6-week period, focuses on helping caregivers think about their situation objectively and providing them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to manage stress and carry out the caregiving role effectively.”
Judi brings many years as a classroom teacher to her role as lead Savvy Caregiver instructor. Rachael runs simultaneous activity groups for people living with cognitive disease. Unique to the AFSC Savvy Caregiver offerings, these activity groups make it possible for caregivers to attend workshops without worry. If you or anyone you know is caring for someone with dementia disease, the Savvy Caregiver will help you feel less overwhelmed, more empowered, and serve as an entryway into a community that will travel the Alzheimer’s journey with you.
For a complete schedule of Savvy Caregiver workshops, or for information about any of the services and programs the AFSC provides, please call (508) 896-5170;
email info@capecodalz.org; or check our website: www.alzheimerscapecod.org.
The Alzheimer’s Family Support Center of Cape Cod is a 501(c)3 nonprofit providing an array of free services to the Cape’s Alzheimer’s/dementia community regardless of ability to pay.