According to the National Alliance for Family Caregiving, 22 percent of America's nearly 44 million family caregivers provide care to someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. However, advice on practical care and communication techniques for those family caregivers can be hard to find. Ahead of World Alzheimer's Day on Sept. 21, Right at Home, a global in-home care provider, will offer families caring for loved ones with dementia or cognitive change two helpful educational resources.

On Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. ET, Debbie Friedman, Director of Organizational Learning for Right at Home Corporate, will host a webinar in conjunction with the American Society on Aging. "While many factors are out of our control, there are areas we can focus on to enhance the quality of life for individuals experiencing cognitive change, whether due to stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's disease or other dementia," said Friedman.

The free webinar,"Person-Centered Care for Someone With Dementia," will cover critical factors to keep in mind when caring for a person living with cognitive change and will offer insight on how families can connect with their loved ones in new ways. Health professionals who attend the webinar will receive complimentary continuing education units (CEUs).

Right at Home has also released "A Guide for Those Supporting Loved Ones With Dementia or Cognitive Change." This is a resource for family caregivers that offers guidance on:

• The impact of dementia and cognitive change on families.
• Techniques for caring for a loved one with dementia or cognitive change.
• Maintaining personal well-being as a family caregiver.

The guide is built on the foundations of Right at Home's RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support, which incorporates a person's ability, personhood, and lifestyle risk factors known to increase symptoms of dementia into each personalized care plan.

With the RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support, Right at Home aims to improve the quality of life for those living with dementia, but to also go a step further and do the same for families. Right at Home does this by not only offering person-centered, abilities-driven coaching and education to families, but also by forming strong care partnerships among the local Right at Home office, the families the office serves, and the highly trained dementia caregivers providing care.

Windsor, Colo., resident Paul Johnston sought help from Right at Home in nearby Fort Collins, Colo., after his wife's, Sherri's, symptoms of dementia worsened. Owner Patti Walter worked with Paul to build a personalized care plan for Sherri and asked caregiver Heather Quass to support the Johnston family with techniques from the RightCare approach to dementia and cognitive support.

"Heather's hands-on involvement has been a godsend to me," said Paul. "When I signed up with [Right at Home], I mentioned I wanted to keep my wife, Sherri, at home as long as possible. Since Heather came on the scene, our lives have improved dramatically. Specifically, Sherri 'doesn't get as mad or as easily mad' as she used to. Heather laughs a lot … and is willing to sit and 'listen' as Sherri reads out loud the same book she has already read 10 times before ... this brings a smile to my wife's face."

"Right at Home approaches all our clients with the goal to provide the Right Care, and when it comes to helping those with dementia and cognitive support, we know that we can improve their quality of life and make a difference in their lives and their loved ones' lives by better understanding how to interact with them," said Brian Petranick, CEO and president of Right at Home. "By educating our caregivers and the families of our clients living with dementia or cognitive change, we are aiming to provide choices in our clients' care, protect our clients' dignity, and give our clients the chance to be who they are to the best of their ability for as long as possible."

ABOUT RIGHT AT HOME:
Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care and assistance to seniors and adults with a disability who want to continue to live independently. Local Right at Home offices are independently owned and operated and directly employ and supervise all caregiving staff, each of whom is thoroughly screened, trained, and bonded/insured prior to entering a client's home. Right at Home's global office is based in Omaha, Nebraska, with more than 500 franchise locations in the U.S. and seven other countries. Right at Home is the highest-ranked senior care franchise opportunity on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list in 2018, coming in at No. 49 overall. In 2018, Forbes Magazine ranked Right at Home the No. 1 franchise to own under $150,000. For more information on Right at Home, visit About Right at Home at http://www.rightathome.net/about-us. For information on Alzheimer's and dementia care services, visit https://www.rightathome.net/services/alzheimers-dementia-care-services. To learn more about franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.rightathomefranchise.com/.