Former Governor To Discuss Caregiving with Nursing Students
Event Will Promote Family- and Dementia-Friendly Healthcare
For more information contact: Diane Farsetta, 608-265-9542 or [email protected]
MADISON — On Tuesday, April 3, from 4 to 5:30 pm, former Wisconsin Governor Martin J. Schreiber will meet with students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing to discuss his experiences as a family caregiver to his wife Elaine, who is living with dementia.
The event—“Caregiving, Practice and Policy: A discussion of dementia care with former Governor Schreiber”—is being organized by the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education (CARE), as part of national Careers in Aging Week.
“More family members are helping aging loved ones manage complex health conditions,” says UW–Madison School of Nursing Associate Dean and CARE Executive Director Barb Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN. “Nurses work with family and other caregivers to help older adults live their very best lives.”
Mr. Schreiber is an award-winning crusader for Alzheimer’s caregivers and persons with dementia. He speaks nationwide, using humor and compassion to share lessons from his ongoing, decade-plus journey as a family caregiver. His acclaimed book, My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver, raises funds to promote Alzheimer’s caregiver support.
Students from across the UW–Madison campus—from the School of Nursing’s BSN undergraduate and DNP and PhD graduate programs, and from the Schools of Pharmacy, Social Work, Psychology and even Engineering—will join the discussion on April 3. UW–Madison School of Nursing Dean Linda Scott, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN will kick off the event and introduce Mr. Schreiber.
About CARE
The UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education (care.nursing.wisc.edu) develops educational resources, training programs and evidence-based tools that help family members, direct care staff, students and healthcare professionals to improve older adults’ health and well-being. CARE is developing an online guidance, support and planning tool for family caregivers of older adults.
About Mr. Schreiber
Over his 16 years in public service as a state senator, lieutenant governor and governor, Martin Schreiber focused on aging issues, improving quality of nursing home care and developing the in-home Community Care Organization. More recently, he collaborated with the Alzheimer’s Association to launch “Operation: Stronger Together” to support family caregivers, and with Wisconsin state government to create an online dementia-friendly toolkit for employers.
