LITTLE ROCK – Caring for an elderly or ill family member can present many challenges. The Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas are offering nine free classes for caregivers with topics ranging from healthy eating to dementia.

Participants may register for the entire series or individual sessions by calling (501) 296-1000. Classes will be held from 10 a.m.-noon each Wednesday from Jan. 14-March 11 in the Jo Ellen Ford Auditorium at the UAMS Institute on Aging. Free parking is available, and snacks will be provided.

Classes to be offered are:

·  Caring for the Caregiver – January 14

·  Legal and Financial Issues – January 21

·  Home Safety - January 28

·  General Caregiving Skills – February 4

·  Positioning and Helping Your Loved One Move – February 11

·  Assisting with Personal Care – February 18

·  Healthy Eating – February 25

·  Caring for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia – March 4

·  Caring for a Loved One with HIV/AIDS – March 11

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. Visit www.uams.edu.