Free Alzheimer's disease conference at Stony Brook for caregivers on Nov. 20

Caregivers for loved ones with Alzheimer's and related dementias know they are on a long journey. But making the day-to-day challenges easier can help make the odyssey less stressful.

One of the most taxing tasks a caregiver faces is trying to communicate with a person with Alzheimer's. Everyday conversation with its normal give-and-take often doesn't work. "They're going to have to learn how to speak 'dementia,' " says Darlene Jyringi, program director of Stony Brook University's Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center (nwsdy.li/alzLI). Jyringi, who operates caregiver support groups at the center, says caregivers should limit the choices but allow the person they are caring for to feel involved. For example, instead of asking, "What do you want for dinner?" offer something like, "Do you want chicken or fish?"

In her support groups, Jyringi helps novice caregivers as well as those who have been caring for a loved one for a while. For new caregivers, the task sometimes seems almost impossible to consider. "I think for some of them, it's the fear of what's to come," Jyringi says.

Caregivers can get information and support at a free conference organized by the Alzheimer's Disease Center and the Long Island chapter of the Alzheimer's Association on Friday, Nov. 20, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The conference will have an update on current research findings and a discussion of how caregivers can cope with the stress from their enormous duties. Experts will discuss ways to deal with the day-to-day challenges a caregiver faces. Additionally, Victoria Meyerhoffer, director of Nassau's Office for the Aging, and Holly Rhodes-Teague, director of Suffolk's Office for the Aging, will discuss resources available from the counties and take questions and listen to your concerns.

Perhaps as important, caregivers can attend the conference without worrying about finding someone else to be with their loved ones. Free on-site respite care will be provided during the conference. Your loved ones will not only be cared for, they will be challenged. "We have a recreational therapist coming, so there will be programs for the patients while the conference is going on," Jyringi says.

The conference is at the Hilton Garden Inn on the Stony Brook campus. Registration is required. Call 631-632-3160. The conference includes complimentary breakfast and lunch.

For more information on Alzheimer's, the National Institute on Aging offers the free booklet "Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease" at nwsdy.li/alzbooklet. You can order free print copies at nwsdy.li/alzorder.