What to Expect

Caregivers who enroll in the ACTS 2 telephone-based, twelve-session program will be interviewed to determine their eligibility to participate. The interview will focus on the specific concerns and goals of family caregivers, background information, distress level, and caregiving circumstances. ACTS 2 sessions are led by trained, lay pastoral care facilitators from the African-American faith community. Caregivers are encouraged to work on the problems and challenges important to them. Seven sessions will be conducted in a small group of three caregivers and one facilitator. Five sessions will be one-on-one with the lay pastoral care facilitator.

What You Will Learn

Examples of topics covered in the ACTS 2 skills-building and support program are:

• Increasing self-care, rest and relaxation
• Building awareness of thinking patterns and how they impact feelings and actions
• Dealing with challenging caregiving situations
• Communicating effectively with health care professionals and family members
• Managing the stresses of caregiving
• Increasing emotional and spiritual well-being
• Setting caregiving and self-care goals
• Expanding knowledge of the types and stages of dementia

What to Expect

Family caregivers who participate in a brief problem-solving consultation will meet with an ACTS2 staff member over the telephone. They will gather background information and ask the caregiver to identify their concerns and to prioritize one or two goals on which they would like to work. Next, the staff member will assist them in developing an action plan to address their goals and monitor their progress. Brief problem-solving consultations are generally two one-hour sessions over a period of two to three weeks.

What You Will Learn

Examples of common caregiving and self-care concerns addressed in ACTS2 problem-solving consultations are:

• Difficulties with bathing and hygiene
• Challenges with eating
• Wandering from home and community outings
• Challenges in obtaining respite care
• Issues around getting sufficient rest
• Problems in getting assistance from family members

What to Expect

Individuals who request information and referral services will meet with an ACTS2 staff member over the telephone. The staff member will gather background information and ask the individual to describe their specific information and referral needs. The person also will be encouraged to describe the types of information they would find most useful. Last, next steps in obtaining the desired information and referral resources will be discussed. Follow-up phone calls will be conducted to assess progress. Brief information and referral session are generally one hour in length over a period of two to three weeks.

What You Will Learn

Examples of common information and referral requests are:

• Obtaining information about respite care services
• Identifying adult day care centers in the local community
• Locating clinics and/or physicians for memory evaluation
• Finding counseling and support services for family caregivers
• Obtaining affordable caregiving services from state and local agencies

What to Expect

ACTS2 staff members both in-person and virtual dementia awareness training to family caregivers and all interested parties. In-person training consists of presentations and workshops at faith community and elder care settings. Dementia awareness presentations and workshops are also offered using social media, such as Facebook and YouTube and videoconferences such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

What You Will Learn

Examples of topics covered in dementia awareness training presentation and workshops include:

• Basic information about the characteristic and stages of dementia
• Risks factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions
• Differences between normal forgetting and warning signs of dementia
• Strategies for preventing or delaying the onset of dementia
• Overview of the ACTS2 program of services
• Web-based and printed resources for caregiving and self-care strategies