Caring with love and expertise

Caring with love and expertise

Gail Sonnesso, graduated from East Carolina University in 1996 with a MS in
Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation. Her undergraduate
degree is a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology. In 2015 she
completed a program in Geriatric Care Management at UF Gainesville.
Gail's career working with older adults began in 1985. Employed in a 900-bed
nursing home Gail's responsibilities included providing therapeutic
recreation for 80-residents.
Volunteer experiences include working in a physical therapy department, and
working with the occupational therapy staff to provide care for severely
mentally ill patients in a long term psychiatric hospital.
Gail is the founder and executive director of GEM Day Services, Inc. a
non-profit organization providing memory care, education and support for
the OBX community. Gail founded the Outer Banks Caregivers Support Group in
1997 and has developed and teaches "Caring Effectively" a class that offers
effective person centered living that enhances caring for a person with
dementia.
Gail is the President of the Nags Head Lions Club, Board Member of the
Healthy Carolinians of the Outer Banks, Dementia Task Force, Co-Host of the
international "Arts and Dementia workgroup", member of The Elder Abuse
Collaborative and a former member of the Dare County Nursing Home Advisory
Board, Founder of the North East NC Respite Coalition, Art at the Park and
Caring TEENS.
Gail E. Sonnesso, MS
Excellence in Care Specialist

College of the Albemarle
LEARN to Care for a Person with living with Alzheimers Disease
with Love and Expertise!


Gentle Expert Memorycare
October 2016
Fridays from 1-4pm


GEM Day Services, Inc., is a non-profit organization providing dementia
care, education and support within the OBX community for over 20 years
presents a 4 week class "Caring Effectively and with Love" for a person
living with dementia. Designed for family caregivers as well as healthcare
professionals, the course has been well received within the Alzheimer
research community.
Lisa P. Gwyther, education director for the Bryan Alzheimer's Disease
Research Center at Duke University has praised the "Caring Effectively"
curriculum, calling the series of classes "rich, practical
and comprehensive."
Each session will address a specific aspect of providing effective care for
people who are living with dementia. Topics include understanding the
progression of the disease, how to communicate effectively at each stage of
the disease, examples of guidelines to provide successful
person centered living! Connections to supports and services.

Learn to care with love and expertise!"
What is this Dementia? It is not a normal part of aging! It is a disease!
Class One
Skill Building How to Communicate Class
Two
Ways of Helping Visual Cues * Verbal Cues * Tactile cues
& Progression ... Class Three
Meaningful Days Learn to direct "the flow" Class Four

Connect with People ~ Turning Knowledge into Skills
Practicum
GEM Adult Day Services, Inc.
PO BOX 3601
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
252.480.3354
gsonnesso@gmail.com
www.gemdayservices.org
For more info about the Class contact:
Registration /information
Sign up for:
Caring Effectively

Name
Address
Phone

I am interested in respite care for my family member
To Register call 252-473-2264 ext. 7033, in person here, or on line by
going to albemarle.edu and clicking the link to job training.
Roanoke Island Campus, across from Island Pharmacy Manteo , NC

To Register of for more information call COA at 252-473-2264 ext.
7033 to register
I Am interested in a scholarship
Successful completion of this class entitles you to 12.0 CEU's in Effective
Dementia Care recognized by NC Dept. of Health & Human Services Adult Care
Licensure Section.
"You help me be who I am supposed to be!" Vernon, GEM participant

What will You Learn ?

We have
Treatment
SERVICES
SUPPORTS
And
A caring community
Join us to learn more about the path to solutions!