North Carolina moves forward to be a more "DEMENTIA CAPABLE STATE"

North Carolina, through its Alzheimer's and dementia Coalition, is moving
forward on addressing five elements key to making North Carolina a more
'dementia capable' state. The key elements are:

1. Public Education and Awareness including early detection, public
education, general awareness and advocacy.
2. Workforce Development including training for professionals,
paraprofessionals and direct care workers to enhance quality care or create
efficiency.
3. Care Transitions which include integrated care, discharge planning
and medical homes.
4. Supports for People with dementia including consumer directed care,
reaching-out to and respecting diversity.
5. Caregiver Supports including caregiver training, respite care,
information and assistance, support groups and options counseling.

Recommendations around these elements will be addressed in the next
four-year DAAS Aging Services Plan. Mark Hensley is the Project C.A.R.E.
lead, is the contact person for our work on this plan and the Coalition.

GEM has been the lead agency in Dare County proactively addressing these
issues. We have provided complimentary Memory Screenings since 2007
promoting early detection. GEM's Community Outreach parties have been
instrumental in providing public education, general awareness and advocacy
reaching out to the many volunteers that helped provide these events. We
present a National Candle lighting to "Honor, Remember and Care" for our
friends and families that have experienced cognitive challenges since 2007.

Gail developed with Susan Firman, RN and Linda Hester Caring Effectively for
people with dementia. Gail has been teaching this class at the College of
the Albemarle for over 10 years. Students include Nurse's aides, family
and professional caregivers and community friends. We are working together
to promote quality care for people with dementia. This class carries 12.0
Continuing Education Credits for staff of Assisted Living facilitates. GEM
also collaborates with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America to provide
qualification classes for [Qualified Dementia Care Provider] increasing the
knowledge of professionals and family caregivers in dementia Care. Our next
class will be June 21, 2014.

GEM has partnered with Dr. C. Petzing, Cathy Pfendler, RN together we
developed a four page document, Who am I? This is for family caregivers to
complete and bring to the hospital Emergency Department if a visit is
necessary. [You can view the document at www.gemdayservices.org.] This
document will assist the staff in caring for your loved one with memory loss
in the most proactive way.

GEM's newest program is geriatric care management which will help caregivers
and people with cognitive challenges with care transitions and community
inclusion.


Supports for People with dementia including consumer directed care,
reaching-out to and respecting diversity. GEM has learned through the years
and applied this knowledge by providing programming that enhances the
quality of life for people with dementia and their caregivers. Our
programming is designed to provide purpose and ensure success.


GEM has provided many workshops supporting caregivers, our first caregiver
education conference featured Teepa Snow and Melanie Bunn at St. Andrews -by
the -Sea in 2001. Our latest workshop Hopeful Aging promoted the" I'm Still
Here Approach"C of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care in February 2014.

GEM developed the first Group Respite Care program in Dare and successfully
provided care for 10 years. We currently provide the GEM CLUB a monthly
lunch and learn for anyone interested in the BEST Practices in Care for
people with cognitive challenges. GEM's website provides the latest
information about issues in dementia. GEM's Issues and Concerns of
Caregivers was the first Alzheimer's Support Group on the beach beginning in
1997.

If you would like to know more about GEM please call Gail Sonnesso, MS, QDCS
@ 252-480-3354 or email her at gsonnesso@gmail.com and visit our website:
www.gemdayservices.org


73 N2DYN Angelo