For Immediate Release:
September 28, 2015
County to offer art workshops for individuals with memory loss
Caregiver Specialist will be present during workshop hours
TINTON FALLS, NJ – The Monmouth County Park System is hosting a four-part art workshop series designed for people with mild memory loss and reduced physical dexterity at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center beginning Monday, Oct. 19.
The workshop sessions will be held from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on four consecutive Mondays, beginning Oct. 19 and ending Nov. 9.
These four art classes are specifically designed for individuals with mild memory loss and lead by certified art teacher and dementia practitioner, Karen Starrett.
Using a wide variety of water-based materials, these hands-on art projects, including painting, mixed media and sculpture, will engage the participants in their creative expression. The classes encourage and stimulate spontaneity, choice and social interaction. No special skills are required.
A supply fee of $30 is payable to the instructor at the first class.
“These new workshops will benefit the individuals that participate, as well as their caregivers,” said Freeholder John P. Curley, liaison to the Monmouth County Office on Aging. “A Caregiver Specialist will be present during the workshops to talk to caregivers about resources available to them and their loved ones.”
Caregivers will not be required to remain in the classroom but will need to stay at the facility.
For those caregivers interested, Colleen Smith, LSW, Caregiver Specialist from the Monmouth County Office on Aging, will be available during this time to discuss the resources available to caregivers and their loved ones, how to access resources, the importance of self-care and other topics that may be of interest to caregivers.
For more information on the workshop, call the Monmouth County Park System at 732-842-4000. For more information about caregiver services, call the Monmouth County Office on Aging at 732-308-3770.
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