University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will provide space for a dementia educational class that will be hosted by the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) of Rock and Jefferson County, in January.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will provide space for a dementia educational class that will be hosted by the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC) of Rock and Jefferson County, in January.
WHITEWATER — A dementia educational class for caregivers will be hosted by the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Rock and Jefferson County starting Jan. 18.
The 16-week program will be offered online and in-person to Rock and Jefferson County residents. The class will focus on providing a resource to caregivers who assist patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.
“The grief and ambiguous loss topic materials are specifically designed for current or past caregivers of someone with dementia and are open to Rock and Jefferson County residents,†said Karen Tennyson, dementia care specialist with the Rock County ADRC.
The in-person class will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) Community Engagement Center at 1260 W. Main St., Whitewater.
“Most of the programs the ADRC facilitates are free of charge including this educational support group,†Tennyson said.
The class will run from Jan. 18 to May 3 and each class will be an hour and half long starting at 6 p.m.
The first 30 minutes of each class will cover a variety of grief, loss and bereavement topics followed by about 60 minutes of conventional support group discussion.
Interested parties can contact Tennyson by calling her at 608-741-3615 or emailing: karen.tennyson@co.rock.wi.us.
“This is a new group and format. We are hoping for about 12 participants and have about half the spots filled,†Tennyson said. “Based on availability, we will take registrations through Jan. 16.â€
Tennyson was one of the driving forces behind the project and program.
“I am a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of personal and professional experience in dementia, grief and loss and geriatric psychotherapy,†Tennyson explained. “My Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1999 and died in 2009. I was her primary caregiver for and a half years. I have been with the ADRC since May, 2022.â€
