Community Engagement
COAACH has a strong history of service to the community.
Engagement is an important part of brain health for the caregiver and their loved one(s) living with Alzheimer’s.
The newly developed community engagement activities include a weekly calendar of events hosted at COAACH and on various Virtual Platforms.
Below are descriptions of our community engagement programs.
Caregiver Support Group
What is a Caregiver Support Group?
Support groups are one way for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s and their caregivers to find that they’re not alone. Support groups allow caregivers and people with the disease to share frustrations and grieve with others, as well as share advice, tips and victories.
The Dementia Care-Partner’s Workbook: A Guide for Understanding Education and Hope – Created and Designed by Dr. Edward G. Shaw
A support group workbook or self-study guide for care partners of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, in Ten powerful lessons.
Lesson One: Telling Your Story from the Beginning
Lesson Two: Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
Lesson Three: Brain Structure and Function, Activities of Daily Living and Dementia Stages
Lesson Four: Adapting to Changing Relationships
Lesson Five: Coping with Grief and Loss
Lesson Six: Stress and Self – Care
Lesson Seven: Getting More Help and Transitioning Care
Lesson Eight: Legal, Financial and End-of-Life Issues
Lesson Nine: Existential and Spiritual Questions
Lesson Ten: Retelling Your Story Starting Today
The Support Group will be offered Virtually.
What is a Caregiver Support Group?
Support groups are one way for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s and their caregivers to find that they’re not alone. Support groups allow caregivers and people with the disease to share frustrations and grieve with others, as well as share advice, tips and victories.
The Dementia Care-Partner’s Workbook: A Guide for Understanding Education and Hope – Created and Designed by Dr. Edward G. Shaw
A support group workbook or self-study guide for care partners of a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, in Ten powerful lessons.
Lesson One: Telling Your Story from the Beginning
Lesson Two: Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias
Lesson Three: Brain Structure and Function, Activities of Daily Living and Dementia Stages
Lesson Four: Adapting to Changing Relationships
Lesson Five: Coping with Grief and Loss
Lesson Six: Stress and Self – Care
Lesson Seven: Getting More Help and Transitioning Care
Lesson Eight: Legal, Financial and End-of-Life Issues
Lesson Nine: Existential and Spiritual Questions
Lesson Ten: Retelling Your Story Starting Today
The Support Group will be offered Virtually.
To provide a comprehensive and impactful curriculum, the Caregiver Education Series utilizes University of South Carolina’s Dementia Dialogues. Dementia Dialogues is composed of 5 modules.
Module #1 – Focuses on providing an overview of Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias.
Module #2 – Promotes strategies for effective communication between the caregiver and person with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Module #3 – Looks at issues with the environment and promoting independence.
Module #4 – Looks at challenging behaviors that arise during the course of dementia.
Module #5 – Explores creative ways to problem solve.
Interchangeably making use of the five modules, the Caregiver Education Series provides participants from partner organizations relevant information in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease.
This is an 8- week community based online course, focusing on three Healthy Brain Initiatives creating a Road Map of actions for learning communities.
All of the activities listed below are in-person events. Based on North Carolina A&T State Universities Coronavirus Policies all gatherings are prohibited until further notice.
All the activities listed below are in-person events. Based on North Carolina A&T State Universities Coronavirus Policies all gatherings are prohibited until further notice.
Dance, Music, Visual Arts and Theatre
All forms of Art have been found to encourage self-expression while helping Alzheimer disease (AD) patients with communication and the retention of personal memories. Similarly, music therapy has been found to help with symptoms such as agitation, and irritability as well as improving memory and cognitive skills.
Games and Activities
Games provide movement and entertainment to participants. Incorporating different activities into the life of an AD patient can help maintain different aspects of health including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional health while reducing the risk of injury.
Virtual Reality Room – Rendever
COAACH is providing a more compelling manner of exercising and to help combat social isolation, COAACH has developed an exergaming and virtual reality room. The exergaming component focuses on providing participants a way of exercising in a virtual environment that allows for physical activity while providing cognitive stimulation. Meanwhile, the virtual reality component seeks to engage participants in reminiscing therapy to increase social connectedness using the Rendever Virtual Reality platform.
