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AARP AARP States Wyoming Caregiving

Caring for Our Elders workshop coming to the Wind River Reservation

CHEYENNE - AARP Wyoming and Wyoming Center on Aging are sponsoring Caring for Our Elders, Oct. 11-12 in the Cottonwood Room of the Wind River Casino in Riverton.

This workshop is designed to empower Native American elder caregivers, elder service providers, and tribal leaders. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided by AARP Wyoming for attendees on Oct. 11 and 12 and lunch will be provided on Oct. 11.

“There are over 100,000 caregivers in our state currently,” says  AARP Wyoming State Director, Sam Shumway. “Caregiving is one of the most important and challenging roles a person can have. We hope these events will offer support to those who are devoting their time and energy caring for a loved one.

The conference will begin at noon on Oct. 11 with stories and experiences from tribal leaders who are caregivers themselves. Other presentations over the two-day event, include: Caregiving in Indian Country; The Signs of Dementia and Alzheimer’s; Healthy Habits for Brain Health; and 10 Signs of Unnatural Memory Changes. There will also be an overview on what health resources are available to members of Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes on the Wind River Reservation.

Headlining the event will be Randella Bluehouse, the Executive Director of the National Indian Council on Aging(NICOA). Bluehouse will address attendees of the event on Oct. 11  at 1 p.m. NICOA is the leading national, non-profit organization, advocating for improved comprehensive health, social services and economic well-being of American Indian/Alaska Native elders across the country.

Bluehouse is a native Arizonian and a member of the Navajo (Diné) Nation. She served in child and family welfare services early in her career before transitioning to advocacy in aging. Bluehouse has been instrumental in bringing attention to the issues of aging across Indian Country. Her maternal clan is the Black Streak through the Woods People and paternal clan is of the Red House People. She was born and raised on the Navajo Nation and now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The workshop runs from noon through 5 p.m. on Oct. 11 and again from 8:30 a.m. on on Oct. 12 to noon. To RSVP for the event, call 1-866-663-3290 and ask for the Caring for Our Elders Workshop. For more information, contact Renee Gamino at AARP Wyoming at rgamino@aarp.org or 307-432-5810.

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