Concerns about memory? Questions about caregiving?

A two-part seminar at Virginia Tech on Monday could offer some answers.

Annette Clark, regional director of the Alzheimer's Association of Central and Western Virginia, will speak from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on ways for those suffering memory losses to improve communication with a family physician.

Elyn Thomas, a licensed clinical social worker in gerontology at the Carilion Center for Healthy Aging in Roanoke, will offer insights at 7 p.m. on the different stages of caregiving, such as in-home, assisted living and adult day care.

Both discussions are sponsored by the Virginia Tech Adult Day Services Caregiver Support Group, an offshoot of the Department of Human Development at the university.

Located on campus, Virginia Tech Adult Day Services provides a range of resources for seniors, including daily exercise, therapy, transportation assistance and supervised administration of medication for 25 current clients. The local branch is one of 70 providers in Virginia.

Health information seminars are vital to the program. They are typically held at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month on the Tech campus. Monday's two forums in one day just hours apart are an exception.

"It's kind of new to have two on the same day," said Alison Galway, Virginia Tech Adult Day Services director and a Department of Human Development professor. "There's a lot of people who don't come out at night, and their person needs care during the daytime."

The target audience for the event is adult children with aging parents and spouses of partners in declining health. Respite care will be available for the elderly at both meetings.

Thomas said attendance could be enlightening.

"People are in denial a lot when it comes to caring for someone who is a parent or a spouse," Thomas said. "They don't know what resources are in the community, and they don't know where to turn to."

Thomas hopes to help. In her two years at Carilion, she's conducted comprehensive evaluations for many seniors in conjunction with their doctors.

Thomas said the right time and place for the next stage of caregiving is sometimes a hard decision for a sick family member's caretaker to make.

"Everybody knows someone who's aging, and they don't want to talk about it with anybody," she said.

"A lot of people don't flip through the Yellow Pages looking for aging services."

Thomas said she attempts to make sessions such as Monday's informal enough for attendees to freely express their thoughts, concerns and feelings.

"I try to make it more of a two-way conversation rather than me getting up there and talking," said Thomas, adding that discourse often occurs among her listeners as well. "I want to hear their stories."

Clark's presentation, which will focus more on ways to reduce stress and achieve better feedback between patient and doctor, should be equally informative.

Before employment with the Alzheimer's Association, Clark worked for 18 years as the director at the Roanoke branch of Adult Day Services. Other branches are in Pearisburg and Wytheville.

"She's a dynamic person," Galway said. "She's very, very knowledgeable."

Galway said passing knowledge along to those whose loved ones are beginning to see the first real effects of Alzheimer's or dementia can be a challenge.

"There's a great deal of lost history, relationship and identity involved for both people," she said. "Probably the key thing we can provide is other people who have gone through these and guarantee that these feelings are typical because you can feel like you're the only one in the world going through this issue."

Senior shorts

n Floyd RSVP membership meeting and volunteer recognition luncheon: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Floyd Baptist Church, Floyd. Catered by Ray's Restaurant. 745-2105.

Blood drive: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Christiansburg Recreation Center. 382-2349.

Blacksburg AARP meeting: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Blacksburg Community Center. The program, Protecting Seniors from Identity Theft, will be presented by Irene Leech, professor of consumers affairs at Virginia Tech. 951-4015.

Senior Health Planning Session III: 10:15 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Christiansburg Recreation Center. Speaker is Cindy McDaniel. 382-2349.

Greenbriar tours and visit to Lewisburg, W.Va.: Leave Blacksburg Community Center at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Head underground for an adventure in the Cold War government relocation facility that was secret from 1958 until 1992. Return by 7 p.m. Blacksburg residents, $65; others, $75. Fee includes transportation, lunch and tours of the bunker and Greenbriar. 961-1134.

Musical Jam Day: 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Pulaski Senior Center. 994-8627.

Scrabble day: 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Pulaski Senior Center. Play this popular word and board game that started in the 1950s. 994-8627.

Bingo day: 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 25, Pulaski Senior Center. Free. 994-8627.

Preparing for Emergencies seminar: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 30, Blacksburg Community Center. Jack Leahy, community center supervisor, will talk about basic first aid and CPR. 961-1134.

Halloween Party: 1 p.m. Oct. 31, Pulaski Senior Center. Two Radford University nursing students will coordinate the activities, games and refreshments. Best costume wins a prize. Free. Sign up. 994-8627.

Barn Dinner theater trip to Greensboro, N.C.: Leave Blacksburg Community Center at 10 a.m. Oct. 31 for a meal and performance at the theater. Return by 8:30 p.m. Blacksburg residents, $40; others, $50. Fee includes transportation, buffet and performance. 961-1134.

Wheatland Retirement Community needs volunteers to help monthly with arts and crafts classes. Assistance is also needed 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays with an Easy Motions Wellness Program. 382-5700.

Free smoke detectors: Offered by Montgomery County fire departments to anyone who needs them. Call your local fire department or Neal Turner, Montgomery County emergency service coordinator, 394-2146.

Personal training and fitness classes: Available at the Blacksburg Senior Fitness Center. Registration is ongoing for Personal Training, Fit over Fifty, Healthy Backs, Pilates for Seniors and Stretch, Balance and Tone classes. Fees vary. Free orientations to the fitness center available by appointment. 961-1134 or 961-1149.

Card games: Bridge, 10 a.m. Mondays; canasta, 1:30 p.m. Mondays; beginning canasta, 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Radford Senior Center. 731-5517.

Novice Knitters: 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Blacksburg Senior Center social room. Informal group works on a variety of needle projects. Free. 961-1134.

Duplicate bridge: 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, Blacksburg Community Center. Partners required and intermediate to advanced skill levels recommended. 552-5361.

AARP Blacksburg: Third Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Blacksburg Community Center. 552-5818.

Quilting and Ceramics: 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Radford Senior Center. 731-5517.

Gospel singing: Public invited monthly for gospel singing of old hymns on the following schedule: 10 a.m. first Tuesdays at the Christiansburg Recreation Center senior activities area; and 2 p.m. first Wednesdays at Wheatland Retirement Center, Christiansburg. Musicians and singers welcome. Mary Dotson, 382-8543.

Party bridge: 9 a.m. to noon second Tuesdays and 1 to 4 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays, Blacksburg Community Center. 961-1134.

Badminton: Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Pulaski Central Gym. 994-8627.

Bingo: 10 a.m. Wednesdays, New River Valley Mall community room, Christiansburg. 382-6346.

Creative Memories: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. first Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. Features scrapbooking with leader Lynn Wright. Supplies available or bring your own. Lunch included for $15. 731-5517.

Radford Chapter AARP luncheon: 12:30 p.m. third Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. A guest speaker will address seniors each month on a topic of interest. 639-4571.

Seniors workshop: 9 to 11 a.m. fourth Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. $5. 731-5517.

Blood pressure clinics: 9 to 10 a.m. first Fridays in the Betty Craig Activity Room of the Radford Senior Center. Blood sugar screenings also offered at Friday clinic. 731-5517.

Easy Motions: Less strenuous exercise class, 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Christiansburg Recreation Center multipurpose room 2A. Doctor's note and registration required, 382-2349.

Fun & Fit Fridays: 8 a.m. to noon, at the Blacksburg Senior Center. Billiards, table tennis, shuffleboard, basketball free throws, Frisbee, croquet, horseshoes, bocce and planned outings for other activities. Registration not required. No programs during holiday weeks. 961-1134.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Virginia Blue Ridge: Volunteer consumer-rights advocacy group provides information, www.funerals.org/fcavbr. 953-5589.

Intrepid USA Healthcare Services: Provides free, in-home evaluations to determine whether an individual qualifies for professional home-care services such as home health aid, medical social workers and physical therapy under Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance. 961-5464 or (888) 416-1428.

H2U: Seniors 50 and older may receive national and local benefits from membership in the Montgomery Regional Hospital Chapter. Betty Jahn, 953-5291.