Alzheimer's Association conference a must-attend event

I sent in my registration for the 30^th annual Wisconsin Network Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.

Don’t let the long name fool you into thinking it’s going to be boring. The annual event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association is a great opportunity to learn a lot about Alzheimer’s, caregiving, research and more. It is billed as “one of the largest education forums in the United States dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”

This year’s event will be May 1-3 at Kalahari Resort Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells. It’s close enough for us that we can go down for a day – or two or three. The Kalahari also offers room deals, if you’d like to stay over.

If you are a family caregiver, that might not be feasible. But maybe you can get away for a day. There are sessions geared specifically for people caring for loved ones at home. There are sessions for professional caregivers, administrators and anyone interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s. I especially like going because of working with the Alzheimer’s Support Group in Wisconsin Rapids. As a co-facilitator, I am responsible for planning guest speakers. This conference provides lots of ideas for speakers and discussion for our members. We bring back brochures and information to share with them.

One of the most difficult parts is figuring out which workshop sessions I want to attend. There are five sessions, each featuring eight workshops. A couple repeat, but most only are offered once. Choosing five from 40 is tough -- there are so many I’d like to attend.

Then, there is the expo, where providers of all sorts of products and services set up booths and offer giveaways. I think some people go just for the goodies. I actually like to see what’s new in the industry and if there are things we can implement at our facilities or partnerships we can make. This is often where I collect information to share with our support group.

There is plenty of time for you to register for this event, too. The deadline is April 10. You can register online or download the brochure and registration materials at http://www.alzwi.org.

If you are a caregiver – family or professional – or someone who works in the industry, you should attend this conference. I highly recommend it!