ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION
Central and Western Virginia Chapter
Core Programs and Services
Respite Care Fund: Respite care funds have been depleted for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The Central and Western Virginia Chapter is currently exploring new opportunities for providing relief to family caregivers. Please stay posted to our website for information as it becomes available.
Support Groups: Support groups are free and open to the public. Groups are available to family caregivers, healthcare professionals, and persons in the early stages of memory loss. The Chapter provides training, support and a quarterly Bulletin to support group facilitators. A listing of information on all support groups is available at each regional office and in the Chapter Newsletter . You can also find information about support groups in other parts of the country on our National web site.
HelpLine: Our toll-free HelpLine is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year at (800) 272-3900 to any caller seeking information, or a listening ear. General information packets are sent to callers along with any specific information the caller has requested.
Education: A variety of educational programs and trainings are offered throughout the Chapter area. Workshops are offered to facility staff working with persons with dementia, family caregivers, professionals, religious groups, civic organizations, and social service agencies.
Annual Conference: Each fall the Chapter holds an educational Conference for 300+ professional and family caregivers. Nationally acclaimed speakers are invited to present the latest information regarding research, diagnoses, treatment options, and caregiving issues.
Library and Resource Center: A variety of books and videos are available to the public through our lending libraries in each region, and our Chapter office please click here for a complete list of our brochures . Additionally, special orders can be obtained through National's Green-Field Library.
Care Consultation and Rural Outreach: Famlies are invited to meet with staff or volunteers to receive an assessment of current issues and challenges and to develop an "Action Plan" for coping.
MedicAlert+SafeReturn: When a person with dementia wanders or becomes lost, one call immediately activates a community support network to help reunite the lost person with his or her caregiver. When a person is found, a citizen or law official calls the toll-free 24-hour emergency response number on the identification product and the individual's family or caregivers are contacted.
Our office provides support during search and rescue efforts. In addition, should medical attention be required, access to a personal health record is immediately available. For more information please call (800) 272-3900 for a MedicAlert+SafeReturn registration brochure.
Police Trainings: Dementia specific training to Law Enforcement officers is offered in conjunction with Safe Return training.
Volunteer Program: Volunteers play a vital role in our organization. Volunteer opportunities include answering HelpLine calls, Special Events, Speaker's Bureau, office work, special projects, and more. To find out more about the volunteer opportunities available in your area, please call our toll-free number at (800) 272-3900. To find out more about how you can get involved, email mary.sandridge@alz.org.
