Executive Director of Armbrook Village, Beth Cardillo, will be an instructor for the dementia training class. (WNG File Photo)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Council on Aging will be addressing a very important topic in the next coming weeks. On April 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Southwick Senior Center, the council on aging will provide a dementia training class for town employees.
Armbrook Village out of Westfield will be doing the training. Executive Director Beth Cardillo and Director of Community Relations Julie Waniewski are expected to be the instructors.
“We do this training that provides the people the experience of what dementia feels like,” said Cardillo.
An intense training that involves altering the participants senses, Cardillo says that there is also an educational component in order to bring complete awareness about dementia.
“It’s an educational program that has a hands-on experience attached with it,” said Cardillo.
According to Southwick Council on Aging Director Cindy Sullivan, besides her own staff planning on participating in the training session, town officials from the public library, fire and police, assessor’s office, Select Board, and maintenance are expected to be represented.
Sullivan finds it important to have other town employees gain more information about how they can tell if their family member or friend is showing warning signs of dementia.
“It’s good to get a little bit of training to recognize that,” said Sullivan.
Armbrook Village is no stranger to dementia training, as the Westfield News reported back on Dec. 3, 2014 that they partnered up with the City of Westfield. The partnership consisted of training 60 of the city’s first responders so they can better recognize the possible signs from residents.
Cardillo added that Westfield became the first city on the East coast to become dementia-friendly.
