ASYR Offers Educational DVDs for Family and Professional Caregivers

The ASYR has produced two thought-provoking DVDs geared towards two different aspects of the Caregiving experience. They are available to the general public and include:

For the Family Caregiver:
“Parenting Your Parents: Support Strategies for Meeting the Challenge of Aging in the Family”

For the family caregiver, we have “Parenting Your Parents,” the touching and emotional experience of best selling author, Bart Mindszenthy, an only child who devoted upwards of 30 hours a week supporting the needs of his frail 98 year old father, who suffered from macular degeneration, and his 94 year old mother who lives with Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Mindszenthy also drew on his professional experience as a crisis consultant, observing that just as organizations manage their crises much better when they are prepared, “boomers” can best help themselves and their parents by planning, understanding the challenges and being prepared. Mr. Mindszenthy’s presentation was expertly recorded on March 28, 2009 at ASYR’s12th Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Breakfast held in Richmond Hill.

For the Professional Caregiver:
“The 3-A Grief Intervention Model for Dementia Caregivers”

This unique intervention Model, which focuses on grief management, and geared towards the professional caregiver, was developed by Ms. Eleanor Silverberg, MSW, RSW, a front line social worker at the Alzheimer Society of York Region, from a compilation of family members’ accounts of their caregiving experience, observations in practice, a literature review combining the grief and caregiving paradigms and peer review, including from colleagues at the ASYR. This DVD presentation draws from Ms. Silverberg’s article published in the Omega Journal of Death and Dying, Vol. 54, “Introducing the 3-A Grief Intervention Model for Dementia Caregivers: Acknowledge, Assess and Assist.” Ms. Silverberg’s lecture, complete with her power point presentation, was expertly recorded on November 5, 2008 at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care as part of its social work education series.

The response from peers to the 3-A Grief Intervention Model has been enthusiastic. Connie Kuipers, the Education Manager of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario writes: “I think this concise model can have a big impact…In all, I think this will be a very valuable thinking tool for Alzheimer Societies and far beyond…It is clearly an innovation and you are definitely providing leadership in this area!”

The fundamental components of the 3-A Grief Intervention Model are presented, offering a professional tool to assist staff, professional colleagues and family caregivers in grief management.

If you wish Eleanor to speak at your organization or symposium, contact her directly at our Thornhill office at 905-731-6611.

Copies of the DVDs are available from our Newmarket office for $10.00. Please call 905-895-1337.