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This content originally appeared in the November 14, 2022 print edition of The Smart Reader.
Stepping On: A Falls Prevention Program
Building Confidence and Reducing Falls
Tuesdays, January 10 – February 21
2 – 4 p.m.
Stepping On, a falls prevention class, will be held in Western Kenosha County held at the new Salem Fire Station, located on Hwy C in Trevor. The class begins Thursday, April 14, 2022. It is open to anyone who wishes to improve their balance and reduce their risk of falls.
Stepping On is a 7-week Falls Prevention Program that has been researched and proven to reduce falls by thirty percent. It covers a range of issues, including falls and risk, strength and balance exercises, home hazards, safe footwear, vision and falls, safety in public places, community mobility, coping after a fall, and more.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older Americans. Fear of falling is one of the risk factors for falling. Adults who fall may lose their confidence and thus limit the activities they had previously enjoyed. This leads to a decline in quality of life and hastens the aging process.
To register for the upcoming Stepping On class, or for more information, call Diana with KAFASI at 262-358-5779.
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Caregiver Coffee Club – Now Meeting In-person and Virtually!
ADRC offers Support Group for Persons Caring for Someone with Dementia
Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center offers a monthly support group for those caring for someone with dementia. The Caregiver Coffee Club meets the first Wednesday of each month from 10-11 a.m. The next meeting will be on December 7. Members may meeting by phone, video conferencing or in-person. Facilitated by Dementia Care Specialist, Susan Johnson. To register call the Kenosha County ADRC, 262-605-6646.
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SENIOR GROUP OFFERS LECTURES
Adventures in Lifelong Learning (ALL), an organization of mostly retired people ages 55 and older, offers free lectures on various topics.
November 24, 2 p.m. via Zoom (or hybrid)
“Visiting Alaska”
Speaker: Larry Gregg
In 2018 and 2019, ALL member Larry Gregg and his wife Joyce traveled to both Hawaii and Alaska. A year ago, Larry offered a talk on Hawaii, mixing tourist info with history in an illustrated PowerPoint. This will be a companion lecture. The topic of Alaska offers mountains and glaciers, indigenous peoples, Vitus Bering, the gold rush, the Iditarod, Prudhoe Bay oil, and more. To prepare, Larry perused various sources, including the 1173 pages of James Michener’s book – which some may have read 30 years ago.
Larry Gregg has served on the Lecture Committee for most of his twenty-plus years in ALL. After earning a BA from Carleton College and an MA from UW-Madison, he served in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic and then taught both English and social studies for the Racine Unified Schools. Larry credits his invalid father, an inveterate map and article clipper/paster, for his interests. He learned desktop publishing from two students while advising the Racine Park HS school newspaper.
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Memory Screen Mondays
The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is offering free, confidential memory screens every Monday, 8 a.m. – noon. Memory screens are suggested for anyone concerned about memory changes, at risk of Alzheimer’s disease due to family history, or who wants to check their memory now for future comparison.
Some memory problems can be readily treated, such as those caused by vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems. In general, the earlier the diagnosis, the easier it is to treat memory loss. Memory screening can:
Provide relief for individuals concerned about normal memory loss
Lead to diagnosis of treatable conditions
Offer the ability to make lifestyle changes early when they have the greatest potential for positive effect and the opportunity to participate in making future decisions
Warning signs of dementia include forgetting people’s names and events, asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion over daily routines, and personality changes.
Screening results are not a diagnosis, and individuals who have concerns are encouraged to pursue a full medical exam. Appointments are recommended. Interested persons may call the ADRC at 262-605-6646 to make an appointment.
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MEMORY CAFÉ – December
The Kenosha County Memory Café will be meeting in-person at the Kenosha Southwest Neighborhood Library starting this December. Memory Café is a place for persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment, early-stage Alzheimer’s, or related dementia, and their care partners to socialize and have fun. Join the Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center’s Dementia Care Specialist and the Alzheimer’s Association on the second Tuesday of every month, 1-2 p.m. The next meeting will be on December 13, 2022, Kenosha Southwest Neighborhood Library, 7979 38th Avenue. Registration is required for new members. Call Alzheimer’s Association 800-272-3900.
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Caring for an adult family member or friend?
NEW Family Caregiver Support Group Meets in-person and virtually
The role of a family caregiver, while rewarding, can also be challenging when trying to balance life’s responsibilities along with supporting the needs of another individual, family member or friend. The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is offering a new Family Caregiver Support Group, the first Thursday of every month. The next group meets on December 1, 2022, 4-5 p.m.
Family caregivers often don’t see themselves as caregivers, they simply think of themselves as the husband, sister, daughter or friend. Defined, a family caregiver is a person who provides support for an adult who needs assistance with daily living activities, such as cooking, driving, shopping, laundry and paying bills.
If you are a family caregiver, this group is for you! Join fellow caregivers, either virtually or in-person, as you share your experiences, ask questions and learn from others. The group is facilitated by the ADRC’s Margaret Ricchio, Caregiver Support Specialist, and Susan Johnson, Dementia Care Specialist.
In-person location is 8600 Sheridan Road, entrance D. To register, learn more or to receive the virtual link, call the Kenosha County ADRC, 262-605-6646.
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December Medicare Minutes – Medicare and Health Insurance Market Places
Medicare Minute presentations are offered monthly by the Kenosha County ADRC. These programs provide information on a wide range of Medicare topics. December’s Medicare Minutes focus is Medicare and Health Insurance Market Places. The program will be offered virtually on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, from 10 – 11 a.m.
SHIP-branded Medicare Minutes are developed by the Medicare Rights Center as a State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) National Technical Assistance Center service. The Medicare Rights Center is a national, non-profit consumer service organization. They are one of the SHIP National Technical Assistance Center partners.
To participate and for reservations call the ADRC 262-605-6646 or 1-800-472-8008. A Zoom link will be provided.
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Someone in Your Life has Dementia:
A Roadmap for Care: Now meeting virtually and in-person!
The Kenosha County Aging & Disability Resource Center offers a regularly scheduled educational program, Someone in Your Life has Dementia: A Roadmap for Care. The presentation is for anyone caring for an individual living with a form of dementia.
Dementia is a general term used to describe memory loss and the impaired ability to process information and make decisions which interferes with daily life. There are many subtypes of dementia, with Alzheimer’s Disease being the most common form, followed by Vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Frontotemporal degeneration, mixed dementia and others. Dementia is not a part of normal aging; however, 50 million people worldwide are living with some form of this syndrome.
Susan Johnson, Dementia Care Specialist with the ADRC, has developed and will facilitate this new presentation. Johnson has a master’s degree in Gerontology and has a passion for improving quality of life for caregiving families. She offers hope and understanding to caregivers, as well as those living with dementia.
The presentation will help prepare and guide caregivers, while building confidence for the road ahead. It will address common caregiver concerns, such as:
Whether recently diagnosed or not, what do you need to know about caring for someone living with dementia?
How do you know what to expect and what your person needs, as the disease progresses?
Someone in Your Life has Dementia: A Roadmap for Care meets the second Wednesday, virtually and in-person, every other month, noon – 1 p.m. The next class will be offered on December 14. For more information and to register, call the ADRC, 262-605-6646.
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