The Town of Fountain Hills, a designated Dementia Friendly Community, will host a four-part educational series for caregivers and healthcare providers at the Community Center.

The first session (course #1963) will be held on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first session is titled “Assessment and Diagnosis of Dementia.” It will describe cognitive screening tools to achieve early recognition and diagnosis of dementia in primary care; describe how to evaluate the behavioral, safety and functional needs of patients; describe the typical workup for diagnosing dementia; help participants understand how to differentiate delirium from dementia and know when to refer to a memory specialist for further evaluation of dementia.

Session two (course #2127) will be held on Thursday, Oct. 5, also from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This session will discuss the “Language of Distress.”

On Thursday, Nov. 3, the third class (course # 2128) will cover “Vitamin M (music) for Dementia: How Music Strikes a Cord.”

Session four is on Thursday, Dec. 7, (course #2129) and will discuss “Sometimes Superheroes Need to Rest Too: Caregiver Support Strategies.”

This series is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is preferred, use the course number indicated for each session when registering. Visit fountainhillsaz.gov to register.

Dementia Care and Education Campus is an innovation of Hospice of the Valley. The program is sponsored by the Fountain Hills Community Center.