Participants learn about Alzheimer’s disease at workshop.
As a young girl, Andrea Davis loved and admired her grandmother who raised her. Now life has turned and she’s a caregiver for her grandmother who moved into an assisted living facility after several falls and health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease.
“I leave my job early three days a week to go to feed her and help her with that type of care. Even though I know she’s in good hands where she lives, to see her in this situation is devastating. She was the big pillar in our family and watched out for everyone’s well-being. It’s important to be able to take care of your loved ones, but it does consume you mentally, emotionally and physically,” Andrea said.
Andrea’s a New York native, Columbian and Spanish/English bilingual working two jobs as a secretary for a Latin church pastor and a translator for police and other personnel. She recently came to Empath Health for a workshop conducted entirely in Spanish by the Alzheimer’s Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter. Other participants were bilingual staff and individuals representing health care, churches, and community and government services.
Alzheimer’s workshop activity.
“It was a really interesting presentation. I’d definitely recommend it to everyone because almost everyone has parents and grandparents and everyone’s going to get old someday. This was a disease I knew nothing about and I didn’t really know what was going on. It’s good to prepare people before it happens because when you have to deal with it while it’s happening, it’s difficult,” she said.
Ongoing Education and Awareness
Maria Pepe, also bilingual in English and Spanish, is our new Empath Health community partnership specialist working to educate the Hispanic community about Empath Health services as part of our Speakers Bureau as well as through outreach at community events. She also is assisting in the development of an advisory council, partnerships and educational workshops that focus on diseases, caregiving and other health-related issues.
“Our workshop series is part of our initiative to close some gaps in healthcare information with our Hispanic community. Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. The Alzheimer’s Association delivered a great and interactive presentation that left us all inspired and equipped with more knowledge to understand those living with the disease and their caregivers,” Maria said.
One other recent topic she covered is advance care planning. She has co-facilitated presentations with our Empath Choices of Care at the Department of Elderly Affairs in Hillsborough County and presented to a ladies prayer group and Latinas United for a New Awakening (LUNA) cancer support group.
“These have been engaging presentations. We talk about appointing a healthcare surrogate and completing a living will. In the Latino culture the families make decisions. I want people to have all the important information so they can decide to do what’s best for them. You don’t need to be sick or 90 years old to be thinking about doing this,” Maria said.
Upcoming Event
Please join us for our next workshop in Spanish at our Clearwater Community Service Center. It’s free of charge.
Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and HPV
Presented by the Department of Health Pinellas County
October 22, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Cáncer de Mama, Cáncer Cervical y el Virus del Papiloma Humano
Presentado por el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pinellas.
22 de Octubre de 2015 a las 6:00 p.m.
To register, please call 727-479-7071.