The class “Understanding Dementia” will provide a basic understanding of dementing illnesses and teach you how to interact and communicate with people with whom you live, work, and play.

The class will be held on March 14 at the Orcas Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A sack lunch is suggested. Call Hearts and Hands (Didier Gincig) for more information at 376-7723.

Shelly Zylstra, planning director at the Northwest Regional Council, will lead the workshop.

Zylstra has worked with older adults for nearly 30 years and is a popular speaker throughout the United States.

The day will cover how the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, can impact many aspects of the day to day lives of people you love.

Learn about caregiver techniques to manage behaviors and to assure good communication.

Find out what you can do to make your neighbor’s life a little better.

Finally, understand how to think about long-term options for care and services.