Caregiver Expo
12th
Presented by the Berkshire Alzheimer's Partnership
Four educational programs will be offered during the Expo. They will run twice so you can catch important information to help you care for your loved one.
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Free dementia care is available on-site in the Pittsfield Supportive Day Program. Pre-registration is required to take advantage of this service.
Meghan Lemay, Alzheimer's Association
Bottom Level Board Room
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Paula Almgren, Berkshire Law Group
3rd Floor
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Cheryl Hutto, Caregiver & Grief Coach
3rd Floor
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Isaac Share, Elder Services of Berkshire County, Inc.​
3rd Floor
Presentation Schedule:
3:15 pm to 4:00 pm
4:15 pm to 5:00 pm
Effective Communication Strategies for Dementia
Presented by Meghan Lemay
This program from the Alzheimer's Association teaches how dementia affects communication, including tips for communicating well with family and friends. Learn the communication changes that take place throughout the disease, decoding verbal & behavioral messages and responding in helpful ways, and identifying strategies to connect and communicate with someone at each stage of the disease.
Meghan Lemay is the Western MA Regional Manager at the Alzheimer's Association and has a Master of Science in Public Health. She has been at the Alzheimer's Association for 8 years where she works to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding dementia. She also oversees community education programs and support groups in Berkshire County, as well as the New England Early Stage Advisory Group.
Look Before You Leap: Insights from an Elder Care and Estate Planning Attorney that Can Help You Navigate the Legal, Financial, Medical, Housing and Care Minefield
Presented by Atty. Paula Almgren
For seniors who need care, it’s important to look at the big picture and know the rules, options and strategies to access community benefits. The right supporting documents can make a huge difference in the trajectory of a senior’s care journey. Understanding what attorney Paula Almgren calls the five big buckets (legal, financial, medical, housing and care) and the interaction between them can be a powerful tool. That’s because a bad move in one area can cause ripples or waves in other areas. In this presentation, participants will get an overview on the intersection of all five areas, so they can help seniors save money and make far smarter choices.
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Discussion will include: the importance of key estate planning documents; knowing the difference between Nursing Home Medicaid and Community Medicaid; protection of the home and assets when applying for Medicaid; learning about Medicaid Estate Recovery regulations; understanding how to tap into benefits from the VA and VHA; and the ins and outs of long-term care insurance policies.
PAULA K. ALMGREN is an attorney specializing in estate planning, elder law, and life care planning and is accredited with the VA. Founder of Berkshire Law Group with 20+ years in practice, she has received a Super Lawyer designation five years and running, an honor given to less than five percent of attorneys in Massachusetts. Recognized as a state expert in leveraging community resources to help seniors remain in their homes, Paula is past president of the Commonwealth’s National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Inspired by her own journey caring for her mom, BLG is one of the few law firms in the U.S. with health care experts, including a Registered Nurse, working alongside attorneys and veteran and public benefits coordinators to help seniors and their families.
Elder Services of Berkshire County Explained
Presented by Isaac Share
This talk will cover the basics of Elder Services of Berkshire County – how referrals are generated for various programs, how case management staff assesses individuals for eligibility, and how in-home services are delivered. State Subsidized Homecare and many other programs will be discussed in-depth. Other programs include:
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Information and Referrals, Home Delivered Meals (Meals on Wheels), Massachusetts Family Caregiver Support, Long-term Options Counseling, the Behavioral Health Outreach Program, and other facets of the Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging world.
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Isaac Share is the Home and Community Based Programs Supervisor at Elder Services of Berkshire County. After studying Gerontology at SUNY Oneonta, Isaac entered into the field of aging; first working in skilled nursing and rehab facilities, and then joining Elder Services of Berkshire County as a Geriatric Support Services Coordinator. Eventually, he was able to enter into his current position, supervising many programs – Information and Referrals, Caregiver Support, Volunteers, Long-term Options Counseling, and Council on Aging Liaison. Having seen the reality that older adults and individuals with disabilities face both in skilled nursing facilities and in the community, Isaac is dedicated to supporting older adults, individuals with disabilities, and the caregivers who are so important to keeping those individuals safe at home.
Resilient Caregiving: Finding Strength in Uncertainty
Presented by Cheryl Hutto
Cheryl Hutto is a Grief and Caregiver Coach whose work focuses on helping caregivers navigate the complex emotional landscape of caring for loved ones. Based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, she specializes in supporting individuals through the daily challenges and unresolved losses that accompany the caregiving journey.
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Drawing from her extensive experience as a certified caregiver and grief coach, Cheryl guides caregivers toward resilience and self-stewardship while honoring the uncertainty inherent in their role. Her unique approach combines practical tools for emotional well-being with embodied practices that help caregivers reconnect with themselves amid the demands of caring for others.
In this presentation, Cheryl will share insights on building resilience in the face of uncertainty and developing sustainable self-care practices that nurture the whole person. Her compassionate, experience-based approach offers caregivers a pathway to finding strength while acknowledging the full spectrum of their emotional experience.