March 2009 Newsletter

Upcoming Events

14th Annual Caregiver Conference

The Caregiver Conference is THIS FRIDAY, March 13th from 8:00am to 4:30pm at Christ the King Conference Center, 4173 Meridian Street in Bellingham. You won’t want to miss it! The theme is Caregiver Corral, and will feature a great lineup of speakers, and of course, great food. If you need more information, contact any board member (listed below).

You may register the day of the event at the door. Cost is $50, or a reduced fee of $20 for NAC, NAR, family caregivers and students ONLY.

Elder Service Providers Lunch Meeting

The March Luncheon will be hosted by St. Joseph Hospital Adult Day Health on Wednesday, March 25th from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm. Luncheon will be held at St. Luke’s Health Education Center, 3333 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham. Lunch will be provided by Adult Day Health, and the cost is $10.00 per person.

The speakers will be: Karla Hall, Care Transitions Specialist and Rosemary Lea, Quality Improvement Coordinator for the Care Transitions Project of Whatcom County. The goals of the project are:

1. Connect health care providers in Whatcom County to enable safe and effective transition of patients
2. Eliminate unnecessary hospital readmissions
3. Enable patients and families to participate fully in their healthcare

Please RSVP to Mary Lynn Palmer ~ 360-788-6410 or email at mpalmer@peacehealth.org.

Northwest Regional Council Opening

Northwest Regional Council, an Area Agency on Aging, seeks an Information & Assistance Specialist to assist older adults access social services and supports. Duties include providing information on the services, products and/or resources available to clients and their families through social service agencies, medical providers, and community partners in the aging network. I&A Specialists screen clients for services, make referrals to the appropriate resource(s) and provide general assistance to clients and families.

This is a 1 FTE, benefits eligible position. NWRC offers excellent medical/dental/vision benefits and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services for the employee and their dependent(s). Other benefits include participation in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), long term disability insurance, life insurance, various deferred compensation programs, Flex Plans for health and/or child/elder care, paid leave, sick leave and 11 holidays per year.

Application packet can be found at www.nwrcwa.org or by calling 676-6749. The NWRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains a drug and alcohol free workplace.

Changes at Senior Support Services

Due to the flooding in January, Senior Support Services has moved to 1301 Fraser Street A-1. They are still located in the Haskell Business Center and the telephone numbers are the same.

Also, Jodi Wallace joined the group a few months ago and has been a welcome addition.

Alzheimer Society of Washington

Memory Awareness Screenings - a free service but donations are gratefully accepted. These are held the third Tuesday of the month starting in February 2009. Make an appointment by calling 360-671-3316, or drop in between 10:30 am - 12:30 pm at St. Luke's Community Health Education Center, 3333 Squalicum Pkwy, Bellingham. The screening is non-invasive, non-threatening and takes only a few minutes.

Elder Service Providers Professional Dinner

The 2009 Professional Dinner will be held April 22nd at Northwood Hall. We will be honoring outstanding caregivers and professionals, and we need your help! Please contact Paula Brady at (360) 756-2301 or administratorspc@bonaventureseniorliving.com for a nomination form.

Alzheimer Society Memory Walk

SAVE THE DATE:
Alzheimer Society's 10th Annual Miles for Memories Walk/5K Run, Saturday, April 25, 2009 at Fairhaven Village Green in Bellingham.  Plan to join us for a beautiful walk and sanctioned 5K run long Boulevard Park's waterfront trails and Taylor Dock.  There will be a cool dog show for kids of all ages and their canine best friends as well as prizes, music, and money-saving coupon books for participants.

Alzheimer Society Spring Workshop

SAVE THE DATE
Alzheimer Society Spring Workshop, Friday, June 5, 2009, Christ the King Center, Bellingham.

Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, will be here for an all-day workshop.  Teepa is a dementia care and training specialist with over 28 years of experience in the field of geriatrics.  Teepa's presentations are always extremely dynamic and educational.  Don't miss this one!

Note from the Editor

Thanks once again for the interest in the newsletter. Members please continue to submit your articles to cindy@cindysherwin.com. Please do not respond to this mailing, but contact Cindy directly for a more timely response.

If you have questions about ESP feel free to contact any of our board members, Rob Westford, Cindy Sherwin, Barbara Herrmann, Suzanne Shrock, Andrea Polchen, Mary Lynn Palmer, Cindy Maxwell, Barry Meyers, Joe Shrock, Sue Ramey, Debbie Gann, Janet Arntzen, Sharon Swanson, Paula Brady, Anna Mitchell, Mary Gould.

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