Free Alzheimer's seminar for healthcare pros

Dementia care is the subject here, but the real story is access. A Fremont group is turning what could have been a niche professional training into a broader community event — free, in person, and split between clinical education and caregiver support. The seminar happens Tuesday, May 5, in Fremont, and it is aimed at the two groups that usually end up carrying the most day-to-day weight: healthcare workers and families. That matters because dementia care tends to break down not at the diagnosis stage, but in the long stretch after it. ### What is actually happening? The event is called “Stronger Together: Navigating Dementia Care as a Community.” It is being organized by the Fremont Area Alzheimer’s Collaboration and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, at St. Patrick Catholic Church Parish Office, 422 E. 4th St. in Fremont, Nebraska. The setup is simple — one event, two tracks, plus a vendor fair. ### Who is it for? This is not just a conference for clinicians, and it is not just a caregiver support day either. The organizers built one track specifically for healthcare workers and another for family caregivers. That split is the useful part. Dementia care usually forces both groups to solve different versions of the same problem — how to respond when memory loss starts changing behavior, routines, and safety. ### Why separate the tracks? Because the questions are different. A nurse, social worker, or long-term-care staffer may need continuing education, care strategies, and clinical framing. A spouse or adult child usually needs practical help — what to expect, what resources exist locally, and how to handle the emotional grind. Putting both groups in one room all day can blur those needs. Splitting them makes the event more useful without losing the community piece. ### What do healthcare workers get? The clearest draw for professionals is a morning speaker session with Lakelyn Eichenberger, Ph.D., a gerontologist and caregiving advocate with Home Instead. Event materials say that session offers 1.5 CEUs. That is a concrete incentive, but it also signals that this is meant to be applied training, not just awareness-building. Eichenberger’s background is in gerontology and caregiver education, so the focus looks practical rather than abstract. ### What do families get? Families get their own track, plus access to local vendors and dementia-focused organizations. That sounds modest, but turns out to be a big part of the value. Dementia support is often fragmented — one place for diagnosis, another for respite help, another for education, another for legal or care-planning questions. A local event that pulls those pieces together can save people weeks of scattered phone