Community
BY DACIA GARCIA
The nonpro t has taught an estimated 30 students per year.
Students are taken to nearby memory care facilities to apply what they’ve learned with community members.
Students receive a certi cate at the end of the training, which can be added to their resumes.
PHOTOS COURTESY MEMORY CAREGIVER ACADEMY OF AUSTIN
Memory Caregiver Academy of Austin shapes future dementia caregivers Based in the West Austin area, Memory Care- giver Academy of Austin has spent four years training local high school students how to care for people with dementia. Marketing and outreach support specialist Rose Berg said the nonpro t typically works in under- served communities with larger Spanish-speaking populations.
After students watch the two video series, an instructor visits the class to work with the stu- dents before the class begins taking trips to nearby memory care facilities. “We have placed a number of students in mem- ory care facilities after they nish the course and a number of them just have family members that they’re still caring for at home,” Wilder said.
This January, the organization is partnering with Northeast Early College High School, Manor Senior High School and Summit Christian Academy in Cedar Park. Throughout the training, students are shown videos created by Wilder and her team with tips on how to be empathetic and patient with people experiencing memory loss.
With an average of 30 students a year, the nonpro t has o ered services across various campuses in the Austin area and nearby cities. The impact In 2001, founder and active director Debbie Wilder launched a respite program for community members with dementia.
Facebook: Memory Caregiver Academy of Austin www.mcaaustin.org
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