Each session is related to the others in this mini-series, but each one also stands on its own, so come to as few or as many as you like!

Speaker: Shira Felberbaum Kedem, LMSW, MS

Shira Felberbaum Kedem currently provides dementia support to active and former (bereaved) caregivers, especially to those in the Jewish community and/or in residential settings as a Navigator, a Community Builder, and a Residential, Long Term Care Specialist at CaringKind.  As a licensed social worker, she strives to prevent caregiver burnout, reduce stigmatization, foster a sense of connection, and cultivate or strengthen innovative partnerships to meet existing and emerging needs in the field.  Shira facilitates emotionally and/or educationally focused support groups, delivers related educational seminars, and provides consultations to individuals and families learning to live with dementia.  Shira also serves as a Board Member of the Uptown Interagency Council on Aging, where she is actively engaged in planning monthly functions for constituents as part of their Program Planning Committee. Shira has consulted independently and also worked in social services for OHEL, overseeing a number of departments, and at The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, where she was embedded in six NYC-based congregations as a synagogue consultant. Prior to this, Shira spent a decade at MetLife in the for-profit, financial services industry engaged in program / project management across multiple disciplines.  From NYU, she holds both a gerontology-focused MSW and a change management / leadership development-focused MS in Strategic Human Resource Management and Development.  Born and raised in Manhattan as an umpteenth generation New Yorker, Shira and her husband, Gilead, now raise their daughter together in Tudor City as well.

Community Based Organization: CaringKind

CaringKind is a leading expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving. With over 40 years of experience in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, CaringKind works directly with community partners to develop the information, tools, and training to support individuals and families affected by dementia. CaringKind creates, delivers, and promotes compassionate care and support services for individuals and families affected by this condition, providing programs and services for individuals with dementia, their families, and professional caregivers, increasing public awareness, collaborating with research centers, and informing public policy through advocacy. CaringKind offers a helpline staffed with dementia specialists, individual and family consultations, a robust network of support groups, education programs, early-stage services, and a wanderer’s safety program. CaringKind believes in the power of caregiving and seeks a world in which everyone with dementia has the support they need, when they need it.