Author, speaker, and Alzheimer’s caregiver specialist Rebecca Jarrard, R.N., of Athens, Ala., blessed a crowd of attendees ranging from caregivers, to medical professionals, to the curious. Health Ministries of Shoals Church in Florence, Ala., hosted the event on Sunday, March 12, 2017, and it was open to the public and free of charge.
Jarrard has had an interesting journey leading to the specialized area of expertise God has called her to share. While residing in Utah during the 1990s, she was a charge nurse in an Alzheimer’s unit. She observed that the overwhelming majority of caregivers did not know how to redirect agitated and combative patients. Staff members often ran from the patients, sometimes leaving the residents with no supervision. There were few activities, so the residents wandered aimlessly about the unit.
She later accepted a position as director of a 30-bed Alzheimer’s/dementia unit in New Jersey. Jarrard’s unit remained deficiency-free and recommendation-free by the state. Her unit was also chosen as one of the field sites for graduate students from the University of North Carolina to observe behavior patterns of people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
When Alzheimer’s Touches A Family, Behind The Scenes of a Five-Star Skilled Nursing Facility, and Awakening The Sleeping Heart are books authored by Rebecca Jarrard. For more information about her ministry, visit www.rebeccajarrard.com.
After Jarrard’s enlightening presentation, refreshments were served, door prizes were given out, and a question-and-answer session was held. Additionally, certificates were provided for attendees who needed CEU credit.
Gulf States | October 2017
Comments are closed.