Upcoming Panels Explore Planning for Families Living with Dementia

SOUTH HADLEY — The Dementia Friendly Communities Coalition of South Hadley is hosting two panels on planning for families and individuals living with a dementia diagnosis on Tuesday evenings, March 1 and 8, at 7 p.m. at Loomis Village, 20 Bayon Dr., South Hadley. The panels of experts will cover a variety of topics to consider, including obtaining a diagnosis, caregiver issues, care options, financial planning, and legal considerations.

The March 1 panel will focus on “Diagnosis and Care Planning.” Topics include “What Is Dementia, and How Is It Diagnosed?” with Susan Megas, Baystate Memory Disorders Program; “Home-care Options Available,” with Sheila Pennell, O’Connell Care at Home; “Residential Demential Special Care,” with Dina Anderson, Loomis House Nursing Center; and “Taking Care of the Caregiver,” with Marcia McKenzie, Alzheimer’s Assoc.

The March 8 panel will focus on “Legal and Financial Planning.” Topics include “Legal Issues, Power of Attorney, Healthcare Proxies, Advance Directives, and More,” with Hyman Darling, Bacon Wilson; “Advance Planning for the Expenses of Care,” with David Fedor, Fedor Financial; and “Alternative Care and Financial Options,” with Martha Napierski, WestMass ElderCare.

The program, co-sponsored by O’Connell Care at Home and Loomis Communities, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Carol Constant, Loomis Communities director of community engagement, at (413) 588-5184.

Dementia Friendly Communities in South Hadley is a coalition of South Hadley municipal departments, community organizations, and businesses working to transform South Hadley into a dementia-friendly community — a place where individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias feel safe and secure with sufficient and appropriate resources to help both the individual and their caregivers.