Rockridge Retirement Community to Host Two-part Series on Alzheimer’s and Dementia

NORTHAMPTON — Rockridge Retirement Community at 37 Coles Meadow Road, Northampton, will host a two-part series on Alzheimer’s and dementia. Part one, “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia,” will take place on Tuesday, July 23 at 3 p.m., and part two, “Effective Communication Strategies,” will be held on Tuesday, July 30 at 3 p.m.

On July 23, Heather Jagodowski, program coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Assoc. who has worked in dementia care for more than 10 years, will explain how Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. She will discuss the impact of Alzheimer’s, the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia, stages and risk factors, current research and treatments available for some symptoms, and resources the Alzheimer’s Assoc. provides.

On July 30, Meghan Lemay, regional manager at the Alzheimer’s Assoc. in Springfield who has a master’s degree in public health, will teach how communication is more than just talking and listening — it’s also about sending and receiving messages through attitude, tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. Lemay will explain how to decode verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia and identify strategies to help connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.

This program is free and open to the public. A healthy snack for an active brain, such as a yogurt bar with fresh fruit, will be served.