UW-Led Wyoming Dementia Together Offers Program on Emergency Preparedness April 8

“Prepared, Not Panicked: A Caregiver’s Guide to Emergency Readiness” is the topic of a Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) program Wednesday, April 8.

WDT is a statewide, nonprofit caregiver network operating through the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA). WDT meets by Zoom call every other Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The free online programs feature guest speakers and allow time for interaction from those who attend online.

There are things people can do to help themselves be prepared for when the worst day strikes, be that a natural disaster, home fire or a human-inflicted event, according to Robby Gallob, community disaster program manager for the American Red Cross of Northern Wyoming, who will discuss these and other related matters.

“Emergency preparedness starts with the individual, because they know what their needs are best,” Gallob says. “Our job at the American Red Cross is to help people capitalize on and utilize the knowledge they already have.”

Gallob will offer strategies, including essential individual readiness, which constitutes things we all can do to help be prepared for when the worst happens; home fire safety; important elements of establishing an emergency kit or go bag; the importance of having two ways to leave every room in an emergency; and wildlife safety.

WDT includes dementia care professionals, licensed clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists and caregivers themselves. WDT began meeting in fall 2020 and has been offering online programming help.

Future WDT program topics will feature “The Caregiver Compass: Navigating Dementia Care Through Values and Preferences,” April 22; “The Conversation That Cares: Strengthening Family Bonds in Dementia Care,” May 6; “The Heart of Care: Upholding Dignity in Dementia Care,” May 20; and “Building Your Care Network: Getting Started with Supportive Care Services,” June 3.

For information about registering for Zoom calls and the other free services offered by WDT, call WyCOA at (307) 766-2829 or email wycoa@uwyo.edu.

For more information, go to the WDT Caregiver Network website.