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Savvy Caregiver Class
Empower yourself with dementia knowledge and caregiving skills mastery!
Savvy Caregiver is an evidence-based, group training program to develop caregiving skill mastery for family members providing care for people with dementia.
COMPASS is proud to offer the Savvy Caregiver program to our COMPASS clients and members of the public who care for a family member with dementia.
Savvy Caregiver is an evidence-based, group training program to develop caregiving skill mastery for family members providing care for people with dementia.
Program participants will increase their knowledge on the stages of dementia, common behavioral symptoms of dementia, and better managing their own level of caregiver stress. After completion of the class, students will be prepared to correctly plan and respond to behavioral issues related to dementia. The Savvy Caregiver program is facilitated by licensed social workers with significant training in dementia and behavioral health. Classes are offered quarterly, both in person and virtually.
The Savvy Caregiver course is a highly interactive program integrating formal instruction with group discussion and skills practice, within a carefully maintained therapeutic environment for participants to engage with each other and the instructors.
Class size is limited to 10 participants in each class.
Space is limited so please reach out ASAP if interested!
Through weekly home practice, participating caregivers practice and apply their new skills to meet their family's specific needs and situation.
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Knowledge of dementia diseases
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Elements of cognition
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Identifying the person's current stage of disease
Disease Education
Communications Skills and Techniques
Navigating Behavioral Symptoms
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Understand the role of confusion in dementia
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Learn approaches to contented engagement
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Discuss the context of medications
Strategies for providing appropriate structure and support of daily activites
Caregiver self-care
Tools for decision-making
Expanding family support and community resources
2026 Class Schedule:
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In-Person
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Thursdays, 10:15 am – 11:45 am (7 sessions):
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Concurrent respite is available for your person with dementia to attend; see info about our Memory Cafe, below
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Spring: April 16th - May 28th
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No In-Person Summer Session
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Fall: October 1st - November 12th
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Virtual
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Wednesdays, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm (7 sessions):
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Winter: January 14th - February 25th - closed
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Spring: April 15th - May 27th
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Summer: July 15th - August 26th
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Fall: September 30th - November 11th ​
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Where: COMPASS Dementia Care, 2313 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
Cost: $210 total course fee, payable by check or card ($175 tuition, plus $35 materials fee for the comprehensive Participant Manual, which is yours to keep)
Space is limited, so please reach out ASAP if interested.
​There is no cost associated with participation in the Memory Cafe on Thursdays.​
For more information or to register, please contact us at info@compassdementiacare.org.
TESTIMONIALS
Past course participants have demonstrated significant increases in their caregiving self-efficacy scores and have reported very high satisfaction with the course.
For another student, Savvy helped them, "improve my understanding of dementia and therefore helped me create a better response" to dementia-related behaviors.
“This program is a game changer for anyone that is a caregiver for a loved one with dementia. I thank G-d for what you are doing to help change families.”
One past participant stated, "The program has helped me keep calm and I am routinely reminded that I am not alone in this."
Savvy taught one student how to, "be patient with my person and better control my frustration."
Savvy also emphasized and reminded one student to "make sure I am taking care of me!"
Memory Café
Memory Café on Thursdays
Memory Café is offered on Thursday mornings from 10 am to noon. Savvy participants are encouraged to bring your person with dementia to attend the Memory Cafe while you attend Savvy Caregiver class sessions. (Please note that Memory Cafe is not otherwise a drop-off respite offering).