BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - Senior Helpers, Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice and MetroHealth present "The Senior Helpers Dementia Care Workshop Series." Learn how to positively impact the care of a person with dementia by using Senior Gems(r), a proprietary program developed by Senior Helpers and dementia expert Teepa Snow. This informative program consists of four workshops. If you missed the first one on Feb. 22 you can still attend three more: Workshop 2 - Positive & Effective Strategies for Dementia Care, March 22; Workshop 3 - Techniques for Successful Dementia Care Interaction, April 26; Workshop 4 - Behavioral Challenges in Dementia, May 24.

All workshops are no charge and take place at the new MetroHealth Brecksville Health Center, 9200 Treeworth Blvd., Brecksville. A free light lunch will also be provided. Please RSVP to Senior Helpers at 216-378-0022 or kwright@seniorhelpers.com.

Senior Gems(r) is a method for identifying the characteristics of aging, from normal aging through the early and late-stage dementia with which many seniors are now facing. This classification system allows trained Senior Helpers caregivers to identify the characteristics of different stages of dementia and understand what a person can still do based on a gem level and using specific strategies to care for our seniors. Additionally, the Senior Gems(r) program enables Senior Helpers to create the best plan for caring for the individual long term.

Senior Gems(r) focuses on what is precious and unique about each senior, and although changes take place as the disease progresses, Senior Helpers focuses on what these seniors can do with what they still have available to continue to live a purposeful life at home. It's all about focusing on taking a positive approach and using strategies that will work. For more information visit seniorhelpers.com.

It's Mardi Gras time: Brecksville United Church of Christ will celebrate Mardi Gras with a Dixieland Jazz Band featuring Eric Seddon, clarinet; Pastor Dave Shackle, trumpet; Steve Ostrow, trombone; Mark Mazak, tuba; and Steve Kraus, banjo. A smorgasbord potluck will follow the service in Pilgrim Hall downstairs. Come and enjoy this rousing pre-Lenten celebration with us on Sun. Feb. 26 at 10:00 a.m. A free-will offering will be received during the service. Bring a friend! The celebration is free and open to the public. UCC is located in Brecksville Public Square at the intersection of Routes 82 and 21.

Opioid education: "An Educational Approach to Opioids" will be presented on Mon. March 6 from 9 to 11:00 a.m. at 6393 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence. Opiates are the nation's biggest concern right now in drug and alcohol abuse and with addiction in general, particularly among youth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) labeled the nation's opiate problem as an actual epidemic, the first drug addiction issue in the nation to earn the label of a legitimate epidemic. This workshop will address the history of Opioids, the signs of Opioid use, and the effects on youth, family and the community. Please RSVP to lazark@bbhcsd.org for this very important seminar.

Sponsored by Community Awareness & Prevention Association, Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County and Cardinal Health.

The Year of the Rooster: The Rotary Club of North Royalton-Broadview Heights will be hosting their 12th annual Lunar New Year fundraiser celebration on Sun. Feb. 26. This Year of the Rooster event will be held from 4-6:00 p.m. at the Kumo Japanese Seafood Buffet, 1975 Snow Road, Parma. A $35 adult ticket and a $12 child under 10 ticket includes all you can eat buffet, Kwan Family Lion Dance celebrating the new Lunar Year, and basket raffles. Proceeds from this event will be used to provide scholarships to graduating seniors, assist in supplying food for the human resources departments of both communities and other areas to help the less fortunate. Please call President Rich Cervenak, 440-773-9552, for tickets and further information. 

Funeral planning: Yes, funeral planning is near the bottom of the list of dinner table conversations. But, of course, it has to be dealt with sooner or later and sooner makes more sense. On Friday morning, March 3, at 11 a.m. Paul Thomas of Brecksville's Nosek-McCreery Funeral Home will be at the Brecksville Human Services Center to talk about the wisdom of pre-planning, also called Funeral Prearrangement.

When a person passes away, especially suddenly, there is a tremendous amount of financial and emotional pressure put on the family and that doesn't even include the grief. With that in mind, planning your funeral in advance becomes a considerate and responsible thing to do. Plus, you get to decide what happens and your wishes are documented. Another consideration is that the price of everything goes up over time and therefore pre-planning saves money.

This event is free and open to all. Call 440-526-2499 to reserve your space at the Brecksville Human Services Center, 2 Community Drive.

Let the Brecksville, Broadview Heights and North Royalton communities know what is going on with your organization, church, school, business or family. Email me at shirleymac48@att.net.

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