At the 6th Annual Conference on
"Comprehensive Long-Term Care Management of the
Dementia Patient," hosted September 15, 2000 at the
Bryant Conference Center in Tuscaloosa several leaders of
Alabama’s crusade to serve its senior citizens were
recognized for their hard work and dedication.
First, Director of the State Department of Senior
Services Melissa Galvin, Ph.D., MPH, was presented a plaque
expressing appreciation for her leadership and advocacy in
behalf of Alabama seniors by the Dementia Education and
Training Act program.
Second, Dr. Richard Powers, Director of the DMH/MR Bureau
of Geriatric Psychiatry, and Clinical Director at the Mary
Starke Harper Center, was presented with a plaque expressing
appreciation for his leadership in organizing and hosting
the annual dementia conference by University of Alabama
College of Continuing Education Director Gerri Stone on
behalf of the College of Continuing Education. Dr. Powers
was presented with two large bean bag chairs for the Harper
Center. Geriatric professionals say that many Harper Center
patients enjoy being enveloped in the bean bag chairs the
center currently uses.
When Dr. Powers and his staff at the Dementia Education
and Training program began the conference in 1994, there
were 291 people attending. The most recent conference
attracted nearly 550 participants.
"We are especially excited about the large number of
assisted living service providers at this program," Dr.
Powers said. "In Alabama, we have the opportunity to
develop the best dementia assisted living program in the
nation. The key to that is training our providers,"
Powers said.
In the near future, the Dementia Education and Training
program will develop a training curriculum targeting
assisted living providers. To help meet the providers’
training needs, Dr. Powers and his staff passed out a needs
assessment survey, which included questions about resident
diagnoses, staff configuration, and preferences in training
approaches, materials, and locations.
For further information about the Dementia Education and
Training program, call 1-800-457-5679.
