Joanne Koenig Coste, author of Learning to Speak Alzheimers, a nationally-recognized expert on the living with the disease, will speak at Newbury Court in Concord on Wednesday, August 10 in a presentation free and open to the public.

Coste has been an outspoken advocate for patient and family care for Alzheimers patients since 1973. She is the ground-breaking co-inventor of the compassionate, easy-to-learn and common sense approach to Alzheimer’s care known as habilitation.   Using this method, patients and those who care for them devote themselves to making life as comfortable and pleasant as possible for both the patient and family.

She is constantly in demand for lectures and consultations nationwide. “We are so fortunate that she is coming here”, said Jim Reynolds, CEO of Caring Companion Home Care headquartered in Concord, MA. “Many of our client families have a loved one suffering from dementia and we recommend her book over all others. I found the training I took based on her work to be the most valuable I have had about dealing with Alzheimer’s sufferers.”

Habilitation has won praise from health care professionals. The founding director of the National Institute of Aging, Dr. Robert N. Butler, wrote the introduction to Coste’s book, and she estimates that at least 100 nursing homes and assisted-living centers have adopted her methods.

“When I first began my work in dementia care over 20 years ago, the philosophy of care and approach centered on Reality Orientation,” says Claire Henry, Dementia Specialist and principle of Caring Resourcesin Norwood, MA.  “The philosophy of Habilitation Therapy has done tremendous service for the dementia client, particularly in regard to their need to preserve ‘personhood’. “Coste is currently in private practice as an Alzheimer’s family therapist. She also serves as President of Alzheimer Consulting Associates, implementing state-of-the-art Alzheimer care throughout the United States.

This lecture will be held at 4 pm in the North Community Room at Newbury Court, 80 Deaconess Road.  Reserve your seat by calling Deb Boyden at 978 402-8223.