If you missed the live webinars…

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

Understanding your rights as a family caregiver and communicating effectively with healthcare professionals are essential in advocating for loved ones and yourself in a complex healthcare system. Webinar topics will include tips for handling hospitalizations, understanding the discharge process, and planning for follow-up care. Medicare rights and responsibilities will be emphasized.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources
Levels of care chart
Assisted living evaluation checklist
Community touring checklist

Handling sensitive topics and making difficult decisions about providing care for a loved one, especially when emotions are high, is never easy. Christine Sevier, Senior Living Advisor and CEO of Creating New Starr, will present information about assessing needs, accessing community services and resources, relocating loved ones, and exploring various care settings including in-home and residential care. All webinars are offered at no cost to community members.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

While there is no guaranteed way to prevent any of the underlying causes of dementia, there are steps one can take, at any age, to potentially reduce the risk or delay its onset. From this webinar, attendees will gain an understanding of the role that genetics play in developing dementia and learn about the lifestyle choices that may have a positive impact on brain health.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
GEMs chart
Resources

Leading dementia-care expert Teepa Snow has developed a unique framework to help care partners identify and understand the stages of dementia based on a person’s cognitive abilities and functions. In this webinar, Starr's dementia specialists will provide an overview of this helpful model, which uses a variety of colorful gemstones as a metaphor for different stages of dementia. Participants will learn how each gem stage has both strengths and limitations, and how to adjust care tactics to meet changing needs.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources
Assessing behaviors

As the conditions that cause dementia progress, communication becomes challenged and persons living with dementia increasingly rely on their behaviors to express their needs. In this webinar, family caregivers will gain an understanding of how to assess, interpret, and respond to dementia-related behaviors in a manner that can improve communication and promote meaningful connections.

Downloadable support documents:
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period and Appeals Rights
Resources
Part D Drug Plan Chart
2024 HMO Chart
2024 PPO Chart
2024 SNP Chart

Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people age 65+ and those with disabilities doesn’t have to be confusing. A guest presenter from Alameda County’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) will share information about coverage, options for supplementing Medicare, and changes for 2024.

When facing the incapacity of a loved one, reliance on professionals will ensure that families receive the most accurate information about options and protection. An elder law attorney will share information about establishing powers of attorney, trusts and wills, paying for long-term care and accessing government assistance programs.

Downloadable support documents
Presentation slides
Resources
GEMS Model
Stages of Dementia for Care Partners

Since dementia dramatically changes the ways that individuals think, perceive, communicate and behave, caring for a loved one with dementia presents a unique set of challenges. Starr Hospice’s dementia specialists will discuss the nature and progression of dementia and the various diseases and conditions that can produce its symptoms. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the ways in which dementia can impact the brain and behavior.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

Have you ever worried whether some of the memory challenges you or a loved one are experiencing are “normal?” Could they be a sign of something else? As we age, our brains and our bodies undergo changes. We may experience instances where we process information more slowly, or we may have trouble recalling names or dates; these can be examples of typical age-related changes. But what are the indicators that these changes may be due to something more serious such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia? When might it be time to visit the doctor for an evaluation? Starr Hospice’s dementia specialists will discuss these questions and more.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources document

No matter how thoroughly one has prepared for the inevitability of death, when the time comes it still can be a shock to the system. In this webinar, a local marriage and family therapist will discuss the complexities of grief and loss, including anticipatory grief and ambiguous loss. Participants will be provided with coping strategies to help them both during the final stages of life and after their loved one has passed.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

The stress that family caregivers experience as their loved one declines can be staggering. The constant fluctuation of changing roles, uncertainty about the future, and fatigue may ultimately result in compromised health and family dysfunction. This webinar will focus on understanding the causes of stress, strategies for coping, and the importance of seeking support and utilizing resources.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

End-of-life care refers to both the medical care and the emotional support that patients and families receive when death is imminent. While the dying process can vary greatly from individual to individual, in this webinar Starr Hospice staff will share general information about what to expect in the final days of life, transitioning to palliative (comfort) care, selecting hospice services, and making funeral arrangements.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

Hearing a medical professional confirm that the memory issues you (or a loved one) have been experiencing are, in fact, early symptoms of dementia would understandably be cause for concern. While it may only be natural to think about the worst-case scenario, receiving a dementia diagnosis early on is actually a good thing, giving you and your family more time to plan for the challenges that lie ahead. Starr Hospice’s dementia specialists will share resources and strategies to help individuals and families prepare for the inevitable changes a dementia diagnosis will bring.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources

Understanding your rights and learning to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals are essential in advocating for your loved ones and yourself in a complex healthcare system. Webinar topics will include tips for communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, handling hospitalizations, and understanding the discharge process and follow-up care.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources
GEMs chart
Activities

Providing daily care for a loved one with dementia can present overwhelming demands on the family caregiver, often leading to frustration and exhaustion. With the goal of enhancing the overall well-being of all involved, this webinar offers strategies for planning daily activities such as dressing, dining, personal hygiene and exercising, as well as social and leisure activities.

Downloadable support documents:
Presentation slides
Resources
Senior housing chart

Handling sensitive topics and making difficult decisions about providing for care for a loved one, especially when emotions are high, is never easy. This webinar will cover information about assessing needs, working together with family members, accessing community services and resources, relocating loved ones, and exploring various care settings including in-home and residential care.

Downloadable support materials:
Presentation slides
Options for financing LTC
Overview of LTC insurance
FAQ About LTC insurance

Starr Hospice’s Family Caregiver Education Series is sponsoring a presentation from the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) and Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS) of Alameda County.  In this webinar, attendees will receive valuable information about long-term care, including:

• a description of long-term care and what is covered by Medicare and Medi-Cal;
•  an explanation about strategies for obtaining long term care and options for financing;
• the pros and cons of long-term care insurance; and
• guidelines for purchasing long term care insurance.

At times, it seems as if what may have begun as a single medical diagnosis morphs into many, especially with the elderly patient. Starr Hospice clinical staff will provide information about the most prevalent co-existing medical conditions among the elderly and the importance of medication management. Guidance will also be provided in determining when it is appropriate for comfort care to be considered in place of curative care and aggressive treatments. Dr. Kuljeet Multani, one of Starr's Associate Medical Directors, presents.