On Tuesday, March 26, 2013, the North Georgia Regional Office of the Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter, will host Finding Your Way: A Dementia GPS.

This one day conference will be held at the Calhoun Seventh-Day Adventist Church and is free to immediate family members of a person with Alzheimer’s or other dementia, and includes lunch. The cost for all other attendees is $15. The Caregiver’s Conference is designed to equip caregivers with the skills to understand and address issues throughout the continuum of Alzheimer’s disease.

The keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Melanie Bunn, GNP, MS, RN. Melanie is a Dementia Training Specialist for Alzheimer’s North Carolina in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a skilled and experienced clinician, having provided care for people with dementia in a variety of care settings including retirement homes, nursing and assisted living facilities, hospitals and in-home as a gerontological nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist and staff nurse. Each year, Melanie gives more than 150 presentations to health professional groups, educators, community groups, law enforcement, and families that address issues of the care and needs of older people and their families. In 2001, she was named Educator of the Year by the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The North Carolina Nurses Association named her Gerontological Nurse of the Year in 1995.

The Caregiver’s Conference will include an exhibit area for interaction with various care providers, breakout sessions to assist in specific areas of need, a Family Caregiver Wellness area with free health screenings and information, and special sessions with experienced professionals.

“The conference is an event where caregivers will be equipped with practical information they can use in their daily caregiving for someone with Alzheimer’s,” said Rebekah Davis, Regional Programs Director.

Family and professional caregivers, volunteers, clergy, students, community providers, law enforcement, EMS, and the community are invited to attend. Those attending will gain an enhanced understanding of dementia, its symptoms and progression, and will expand their skills in providing assistance to optimize caregiving.

Registration is required for the conference. To register, call 1-800-272-3900. The registration deadline is Monday, March 18, 2013.