The Area Agency on Aging 1-B (AAA 1-B) and the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Michigan Chapter are hosting a free training program for families concerned about and/or caring for someone with a dementia related illness, such as Alzheimer’s disease.   The Creating Confident Caregivers™ (CCC) program has been proven to reduce caregiver stress by empowering caregivers with useful tools and information.  Classes will be held once a week for six weeks in the meeting room at Frenchtown Senior Citizens, Inc. (32786 Vivian Road, Monroe, MI  48162).  The class will be held Tuesdays, April 21, 28 and May 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The CCC™ trainings are held for two hours, once a week for six weeks. Caregivers are encouraged to attend all six classes in order to complete the training.  Onsite respite care – care for the adult family member with dementia – is also be available free of charge at Frenchtown Senior Citizens, Inc. while caregivers attend the class.  All materials, flyers, and training books are provided by the AAA 1-B, and there is no cost for the caregiver to attend this training.  The class is limited to 12 participants.  Up to three members from one family can attend a training together.  Caregivers should plan to attend all six sessions to get the full benefit from the program.

“The CCC program is unique because it is designed to address very specific challenges that caregivers of a person with dementia experience,” said CCC Trainer Cathy Backos, LPN, and Respite Care Manager at the Area Agency on Aging 1-B. “The training is not a support group, but an opportunity for caregivers to learn new information and strategies that will make their job easier and more fulfilling.”

This program is supported, in part, by the U.S. Administration on Aging through its Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States, the Michigan Office of Services to the Aging, the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, and the Alzheimer’s Association – Greater Michigan Chapter.

To register for the CCC training program, as well as on-site respite care, call the Area Agency on Aging 1-B at (800) 852-7795, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.