Krisie Barron, a caregiver specialist, trainer, consultant and coach from Embrace, hosted a seminar Tuesday night at the high school for people interested in learning more about alzheimers and dementia.

 

Tami Kolbinger from ACT on Alzheimer’s of Becker and Carol Brunn from the Becker Area Senior Center, brought Barron in to discuss caregiving and help educate those who have been affected or know someone close to the progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.

 

Barron, a licensed social worker and certified caregiver consultant, has over 20 years of experience helping individuals and families walk their aging journey. Through her education and experience with clients and her own personal experience as a caregiver, Barron attends seminars to bring a unique, all encompassing view of caregiving while teaching understanding of the trials and tribulations that come with the caregiving journey. 

 

Tuesday, Barron used humor and an unscripted, friendly approach to engage the audience of around 20 guests. She started the event by pairing off the guests and having them get to know each other by “interviewing” the other. She handed out a worksheet that spurred questions and used antonyms to get the guests talking to each other in a friendly, casual way.

 

Barron spoke of the purpose and meaning of caregiving and stressing the importance of belonging. She spoke of the “four F’s” for the guests to keep in mind when engaging someone they are caring for.

 

Friendliness gives the patient a feeling of being liked where they are at and feeling wanted.

 

Familiarity creates a comfort and easiness for the individual at the place they are in and functionality allows the person to know what it is they do there.

 

Forgiveness manifests the idea the patient can make mistakes and errors and know everything will still be okay.

 

Barron went on the compare the “normal” brain with the one that is diseased by dementia. She showed slides on a screen showing side-by-side visuals of brains in people affected by the disease and those that aren’t.

 

She talked about the positive approach one must take to care beliefs and the basics for success. She stressed the importance of approach and what to do when words don’t work.

 

Her workshops have come from many years of walking with people along life’s journey.  Barron has helped people stay safe and independent in their own home with the help of volunteers, home care and hospice.  

 

“What I have learned since becoming a Caregiver is that the toll it takes on your heart to watch someone you love suffer is by far one of the hardest things to experience,” Barron said on her website blog.  

 

“The helplessness you feel by not being able to help make the pain go away, the vulnerability you feel when you are relying on a healthcare system, doctor or psychologist to make the right decisions that will without a doubt add to your quality of life, but instead choose a path that is conducive to a system instead of the people it is meant to serve and protect."

 

That is what she has learned through the years and that message and path to success was why Kolbinger and Brunn invited her to attend this seminar for individuals who are traveling the same journey.

 

For those interested in Becker’s ACT on Alzheimer’s, contact Tami Kolbinger at tamikolbinger@gsc-mn.org. For those interested in the BASC, contact Carol Brunn at 763-528-0643 or by email at: basc.becker@gmail.com.