Benevilla Live, Virtual “Caregiver Connect” Event November 30th Showcases Three Expert Speakers on Aging and Dementia

October 28, 2021

Benevilla is excited to announce their 2nd “Caregiver Connect” event of 2021 will take place as a live, virtual streaming event Tuesday, November 30th from 9:00AM until approximately 11:00AM.  This free educational event provides family caregivers with support, expert guidance, and valuable information to assist them on their caregiving journey. You can join the event and ask questions of the speakers during the presentations on “Facebook Live” at facebook.com/CityofPeoriaAZ.  The event will also live stream on the web at www.peoriaaz.gov/PeoriaTV  and you can tune into Cox Channel 11 or Century-Link Channel 8509 to see it as well.

Like past Caregiver Connect experiences, there will be 3 enlightening and informative presentations during this event from local experts on dementia care and caregiving education.  Dr. Walter J. Nieri, the Director of the Banner Health Family Medicine Geriatric Fellowship Program is scheduled to speak on “Caring for Older Patients with Chronic Disease.”  Dr. Nieri is a graduate of Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and is certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and as a Medical Director of Long-Term Care.  He is also a Director for The Center for Healthy Aging.  He has been selected as one of Arizona’s “Top Doctors” numerous times.

Pam Ostrowski will present “Understanding Dementia and Its Impact on Families.” Pam is the founder of Alzheimer’s Family Consulting, a speaker, a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA), Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), is Certified in Dementia Care (CDC) and the author of the highly rated “It’s Not That Simple: Helping Families Navigate the Alzheimer’s Journey” available on Amazon.

Dr. Alireza Atri, MD, PhD, Director, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, will address “A New Era of Targeted Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease: Progress & Challenges.”  Dr. Atri is an internationally renowned cognitive neurologist, neuroscientist, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Related Dementias (ADRD) clinical researcher-educator. He is the Director of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ, Co-leader of the Clinical and Biomarker Cores of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and serves on the faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, MA, USA.

“Benevilla is excited to have all 3 amazing speakers at one time at our Virtual Caregiver Connect Event” says Benevilla President and CEO, Joanne Thomson.  “Today, 30-60% of caregivers pass from illnesses related to caregiver stress before the person they are caring for. That’s why getting family caregivers this type of specialized support and information is crucial for our aging communities and their families.”

Family caregivers can get their pressing questions answered.  Over 30 local senior services providers will also supply critical caregiver information to the attendees.  They will have videos and links offering expert advice and direction on a myriad of topics including senior living options, home care choices, insurance alternatives, elder law and help with government programs.  There will be Benevilla programs information highlighting our Support Groups, Home Services, and our C.A.R.E.S. (Community Assistance, Resources, Education and Support) Resource Department.

Thank You to our Event Series Sponsor, AARP Arizona, and Acadia Pharmaceuticals, and Thank You to the City of Peoria for their partnership and support in this event. If you are unable to tune into this event live on Tuesday, November 30th, please sign up on the Benevilla website at:  https://benevilla.org/benevilla-event-registration/ or call our offices at 623-584-4999 to receive a link to the full presentation to watch at your own convenience.