FREDONIA – The Western New York Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association will hold an educational program in Fredonia for area caregivers who need assistance in communicating with loved ones living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

The free program, “Effective Communication Strategies,” will take place Wednesday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Darwin R. Barker Library Association, 7 Day St., Fredonia.

“Communication is more than just talking and listening – it’s also about sending and receiving messages through attitude, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language,” says Andrea Koch, director of education at the WNY Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “As people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias progress in their journey and the ability to use words is lost, families need new ways to connect.”

The program will explore how communication takes place when someone has Alzheimer’s, help people learn to decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and identify strategies to help them connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.

The Effective Communication Strategies program of the Alzheimer’s Association was designed to provide practical information and resources to help dementia caregivers learn to decode verbal and behavioral messages from people with dementia.

Participants can register online at bit.ly/ECSDRBLApr24 or by calling 800.272.3900.