Dementia

Know About Dementia to Better Serve Your Clients - and Yourself

August 31, 2026, 1:00 - 3:00pm CDT
Virtual via Zoom
Fee: $10 full members; $25 partial members and nonmembers
Continuing Education Hours: 2.0

Course Description

Learn about Alzheimer’s disease and other types of progressive dementia to live well and cope better as a
caregiver, family, and a community – and care for yourself as a professional. Session will discuss different types of progressive dementia, the process of diagnosis, typical symptoms and behaviors, impacts on individuals and
families, and how to interact positively with an affected individual and their caregiver/family. Take this opportunity to learn about dementia and gain insight to improve the quality of care you provide and enhance your relationships with your clients.

Learning Objectives:

Detailed overview of Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias
Discuss the process of diagnosing ADRDs and the impact on loved ones
Share typical symptoms and related behaviors and ways to interact positively with a person with dementia
Discuss coping as a professional caregiver and ways to communicate and better serve the family with dementia

About the Trainer

Valerie Richards, MBA

Valerie has always had a personal interest and a professional focus in improving life for those with chronic conditions, including a career in business collaborating with individuals and families managing disease and serious illness. Her own family journey inspired her passion to help others manage life transitions through education and coaching. For over 15 years now, she has provided education for the community, training for professionals, and privately coached families to facilitate quality of life through the challenging transitions of progressive dementia, aging, and end-of-life. She motivates and empowers individual caregivers, families, and the community to live well and interact positively with people with chronic conditions.

Valerie has an MBA degree from the University of Wisconsin and a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She has extensive training in dementia care and senior issues, and multiple certifications including: Advance Care Planning Facilitator, Elder Law & Chronic Care (Mitchell Hamline School of Law), Dementia: A Comprehensive Update (Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital), and Grief Support Services Facilitator (Essentia Health). Valerie has been a speaker and group facilitator for Minnesota Council of Churches, Honoring Choices Minnesota, and the Alzheimer’s Association, and has contributed to ACT on Alzheimer’s. She has facilitated caregiver support groups since 2011.

Valerie is a big advocate of pet therapy, having witnessed its benefits in visits with individuals and groups with her trained therapy dogs. She and her dog, Frida, are often seen at community events, and they provide education and pet therapy visits to encourage positive moments and well-being.