Frequently Asked Questions: 
       When do the meetings occur and is there a charge?
       Who do I contact for more information?
       What is the schedule of programs for the Tuesday evening meetings?
       Who leads these meetings and what are their qualifications?
       How do I get to Park Ridge Hospital?

Meetings Take Place the Third Tuesday of Every Month from 5:30 to 7:30 February through November in the Duke Room at Park Ridge Hospital.  A light supper is served and there 
is no charge.
Any family member or friend who is caring for an older adult is invited to attend.
Professional caregivers are asked to make a reservation by calling 682-2459.

To receive emails announcing the monthly program, other caregiver events, and a caregiver column, please email Ruth and request 'monthly email.'

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Ruth Price, Coordinator,           ruth [at] rutheprice.com or           all 682-2459 or 681-2203          visit her website    email her directly

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The 2010 schedule:

February 16   Canceled due to weather 
 

March 16 Pain Solutions, Carlene Burleson and Dr. Richards

April 20 Healthy Living: Breaking the Symptom Cycle, Rebecca Chaplin, L.S., M.A., 
         Aging Program Specialist, Land-of-Sky Regional Council’s Area Agency on Aging 

May 18 Blue Zones: Learning about Healthy Aging from the Oldest People in the World 
         Jodi Grabowski, Park Ridge Hospital

June 3 It Takes a Village: Caregiving 2010, 11th Annual Caregiver Conference
          The Arboretum - 11:30 PM to 4:30 PM - Pre-Registration Is Requested
           No Charge for non-paid caregivers

June 15 Early Stage Alzheimer’s Disease, Pat Hilgendorf, Land-of-Sky Regional Council and MemoryCare

July 20 Creatively Coping with Behaviors, Carla Hyde, Park Ridge Hospital’s HOPE Program

August 17 Getting Good Care for My Loved One in a Long-Term Care Facility, Ruth Price, MT-BC, 
            HOPE Caregiver Wellness Program Coordinator

September 21   Hiring Help, Carol McLimans, MA, Family Caregiver Specialist, 
            Land-of-Sky Regional Council Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program

October 19 In-Home Care Options, Linda Lauzon, Park Ridge Home Health & Kathleen Barr, HomeInstead

November 16   Getting the Carerecipient to Accept Help, Carol McLimans, MA, Family Caregiver 
             Specialist, Land-of-Sky Regional Council Area Agency on Aging Family Caregiver Support Program

Meetings Occur from 5:30 to 7:30 PM the Third Tuesday of Every Month 
February through November in the Duke Room at Park Ridge Hospital. 

There is no charge for the meeting and a $4 coupon is provided in the hospital dining room to assist caregivers with the cost of a light supper from 5:00 to 5:45.

Any family member or friend who is caring for an older adult is invited to attend.  Professional caregivers are asked to make a reservation by calling 682-2459 or email Ruth Price at ruth@rutheprice.com

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Ruth Price, her Caregiver Consulting Webiste

Ruth Price consults with hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other organizations, specializing in professional and family caregiver wellness, behavior symptoms, and other quality of life issues.  She founded Park Ridge Hospital's HOPE Caregiver Wellness Program in 1996.  Before starting her own consulting business she helped develop Asheville's first adult day program (now known as CarePartners Adult Day Program). 

In 1987 she was involved with the drafting of nursing home reform legislation by Congress and continues to consult with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in writing of the rules to implement that law.  Ruth is a board certified music therapist.  She has presented for numerous local, state, and national organizations including the American Health Care Association, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

Carol has an MA degree in counseling and psychological services from Saint Marys University of Minnesota, and a BS degree in medical technology from the University of Minnesota. Carol was employed by Land-of-Sky Regional Council in 1997 as their Job Developer and Aging Programs Assistant. She became their first Family Caregiver Specialist in 2001 to develop and oversee their Family Caregiver Support Program, a new program resulting from enactment of the National Family Caregiver Act in 2000. 

As the Family Caregiver Specialist she works with individuals who are caregivers for their disabled or ill loved ones. Carol helps these family caregivers take better care of themselves and their loved ones by providing information about programs and services that can help them and connecting them with support services such as respite and support groups. She also helps them identify training needs and opportunities and supplemental services such as meals on wheels, transportation, emergency response systems and assistive devices they may need.

Carol is certified as a trainer for   “Respecting Choices” advance care planning training, the “Communicating Effectively with Health Care Providers” workshop developed by the National Family Caregivers Association and AARP’s “Powerful Tools of Caregiving” course.

She enjoys the challenge of creating a new program and feels honored to work with caregivers who contribute so much to their loved ones and to society.

During her first career in laboratory medicine she served as a laboratory supervisor and medical technology educator. While pursuing her graduate degree in counseling psychology she served as the Program Director for the Mayo School of Health Related Sciences Medical Laboratory Technician Program. She also served as a client representative for Mayo Medical Laboratories, developed the microbiology laboratory curriculum for Mayo Medical School and served as a microbiology instructor for students in a variety of programs.

After completing the counseling program she served as a program evaluator for the Department of Social Services for Olmsted County of Minnesota and was a crisis line counselor for sexual assault victims. She also served as a volunteer counselor for prisoners with severe and persistent mental illness at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, MN 

Pat Hilgendorf has worked in the area of dementia and caregiving for 19 years.  Before that, she was a caregiver for her own mother who died of Alzheimer’s disease in 1990.  Pat developed an Elder Care Resource & Referral Program for the 4,000 employees of the General Motors plant where she worked and the program went nation-wide in 1996.  Pat has been active with the Alzheimer’s Association for 20 years. She currently works for MemoryCare as facilitator for the MemoryCare Network support group.  She also works with the Area Agency on Aging, Region B, to provide  primary care physicians information about community resources for patients with memory problems and their caregivers.

 
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Park Ridge Hospital is located just off Interstate 26 at Exit 44, between Hendersonville and Asheville, North Carolina. If you are traveling on I-40, take Exit 46 to I-26 east until you reach Exit 44, the Fletcher exit. Turn south on Highway 25 toward Mountain Home. At the first traffic signal, turn left onto Naples Road and proceed approximately one mile. Park Ridge Hospital is on the right. 

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