Briefs

CASA

Capital Area Court Appointed Special Advocates Association, 848 Louisiana Ave., will hold the following events:

• The CASA Association’s 18th annual Casas for CASA, a playhouse fundraiser to generate public awareness, funding and community support for CASA’s efforts on behalf of abused and neglected children, is in progress. The playhouse, valued at $20,000, can be seen at the lower level elevator at the Mall of Louisiana. Tickets, $5 each, can be purchased through Aug. 12 at the mall, the CASA office (848 Louisiana Ave.) or online at http://www.casabr.org. The drawing will be held Aug. 12 at CASA Kids Day.
• An informational session for those interested in becoming CASA advocates will be at noon Tuesday. Court Appointed Special Advocates help neglected and abused children in the foster care system find a safe and permanent home.

To attend a session, call [phone].

• CASA Kids Day, a children’s safety fair, will be from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 12, at the mall. Events will include performances and activities for children of all ages, free services for children and safety demonstrations. The fair will close with the playhouse giveaway at 5 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Services

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area, 3772 North Blvd., will hold the following events:

• “Train the Trainer,” a two-day course of training in compliance with Louisiana Legislative Act 571 that requires staff training in dementia care in adult residential care facilities and nursing homes, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the office. For more information, call [phone].
• “The Elephant in the Room: Is It or Isn’t It Alzheimer’s?” a video education designed to educate Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers about the disease and ways to improve quality of life, will be available for checkout during business hours Tuesday at the office.
• A photo art exhibit, “The Faces of Alzheimer’s,” to mark National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, will be held from Wednesday to Aug. 31 at Assumption Parish Libraries, 293 Napoleon Ave., Napoleonville, and 2800 Highway 70, Pierre Part.

For more information, call [phone].

• Caregiver network groups for caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia will meet from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Amber Terrace, 8585 Summa Drive, and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road.

HIV services

The following HIV services will be offered this week:

• Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, 4727 Revere Ave., will offer free, confidential HIV testing and counseling from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the office. No needles and no blood are necessary, and results are ready in 20 minutes. For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.fsgbr.org.
• Metro Health will offer free, confidential HIV testing from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center, 950 East Washington St. Hepatitis C and syphilis testing will be is conducted from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. Metro Health will also offer testing from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 4000 Gus Young Ave. Other testing will be done at Earl K. Long Mid-City, North Foster at Gus Young Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. For more information, call [phone].

Family Service

Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, 4727 Revere Ave., will offer counseling services for children, individuals and families who need help with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and relationship problems from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. For more information, call [phone].

Cancer Services

Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave., will hold the following events this week:

• “YogaThrive: Yoga for Cancer Survivors” will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at The Red Shoes, 2303 Government St. Registration is required.
• “Fit & Fearless,” an exercise program for cancer survivors, will be at 5:15 p.m. Monday at BREC Independence Park, 7500 Independence Blvd. Registration is required.
• “Fit & Fearless: Total Body Workout” will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at BREC Independence Park. Another class will be at 5:15 p.m. Thursday. Registration is required.
• After Hours Cancer Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the office.
• West Feliciana Parish Support Group will meet at noon Wednesday at First United Methodist Church, 9856 Royal St., St. Francisville.
• Single Survivors Network will meet at noon Wednesday at the office.
• “Zumba Gold” will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at BREC Independence Park. Registration is required.
• St. James Parish Support Group, a general cancer support group, will meet at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Church Center, 616 Main St. in Gramercy.
• Holistic Healing will be at noon Friday at the office.

For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.cancerservices.org.

Grief Recovery

The Grief Recovery Center, 4919 Jamestown, Suite 101, will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• A support group will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the office.
• A bereavement support group for adults will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 14040 Greenwell Springs.
• A bereavement support group for adults will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales.

All support groups are free and confidential.

• Speakers are available on topics related to grief.

For more information, call [phone] or visit http://www.grcbr.org.

Ochsner

Ochsner Medical Center, 17000 Medical Center Drive, will hold the following events this week:

• AARP Driver Safety and Operation Lifesaver Course will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the medical center. AARP will cover age-related problems such as vision, hearing, reflex and other concerns for the older driver.

Cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. This is a Golden Opportunity program event for adults 50 and older.

• “Lunch Bunch: Celiac Disease” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the medical center. Discussion will include the causes, risk factors, symptoms and treatment options available for this condition which damages the lining of the small intestine. This is a free Golden Opportunity program event.

For more information or to RSVP for Golden Opportunity program events, call [phone].

Woman’s Hospital

Woman’s Hospital, 9050 Airline Highway, will hold the following events this week:

• “Prenatal Yoga” will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Destination Maternity, 5921 Bluebonnet Blvd. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Baby Steps,” a light exercise class for moms to do with their babies, will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Strong Mamas,” an exercise class to prepare for pregnancy body changes, will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Anesthesia for Childbirth” will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at 100 Woman’s Way, the new Woman’s Hospital, Conference Room 2, first floor.

For more information or registration, call [phone] or visit http://www.womans.org.

The Hospice of BR

The Hospice of Baton Rouge, 9063 Siegen Lane, will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• Free grief support group sessions will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sunrise Assisted Living, 9351 Siegen Lane, and 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Broadmoor Methodist Church, 10230 Mollylea Drive. For more information, call [phone].
• The hospice is seeking volunteers for patient/caregiver support, health fairs and office assistance. For more information, call [phone].

‘CancerFit’

“CancerFit,” a comprehensive wellness program from Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins designed to help cancer patients stay active and mentally fit, will hold a class, “Stress & the Immune System,” from 3:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Our Lady of the Lake Plaza Diagnostics Building, Suite 112, and 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Asphodel Room.

Classes are free and include an hour of yoga and guided meditation followed by a 15-minute presentation. For more information or to register, call [phone].

DBSA

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance will meet from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at La Madeleine Café, 7615 Jefferson Highway. The free meeting is open to those diagnosed with depression and bi-polar disorder as well as family and friends. For more information, call [phone].

Grief support

The Community Grief Support Group, in partnership with several other local agencies, will meet at noon Tuesday at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave. The group is open to anyone coping with the loss of a loved one. Call [phone] for more information.

Red Cross

The Louisiana Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross, 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd., will hold the following classes:

• “Adult First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the office. Cost is $90.
• “Adult CPR” will be from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the office. Cost is $70.
• “Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the office. Another class will be offered Tuesday, Aug. 7. Cost is $110.
• “Lay Rescuer First Aid and CPR/AED Instructor Training” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Monday, Aug. 6, and Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the office. Cost is $500.
• e_SDLqCPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the office. Cost is $110.

For more information or to register, call [phone] or visit http://www.batonrouge.redcross.org.

Co-Dependency

Co-Dependency Anonymous will have a 12-step meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at University United Methodist Church, 3350 Dalrymple Drive, Room 204 of the Trice Building. For more information, call [phone] or for literature, visit http://www.coda.org.

Spine Health

A Community Spine Health Seminar will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Feldman Institute, 505 East Airport Drive. Dr. Arni Feldman will discuss new treatments for chronic back pain. For more information or to RSVP, call [phone].

Cardinal Hospice

Cardinal Hospice, 8280 YMCA Plaza Drive, 3-A, will offer the following event and opportunity this week:

• A grief support group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the office. The group is free and open to the public.
• The hospice is looking for volunteers to do clerical work, visit patients and/or run errands for family members. Call [phone].

OLOL

Our Lady of the Lake, 5000 Hennessy Blvd., will hold “Weight Loss Surgery,” a free community seminar to learn about weight loss options, at 6 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium. Call [phone].

BR General

Baton Rouge General will hold Healthy Steps: Lebed exercise program, healing through dance and movement, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bluebonnet location, 8585 Picardy Ave. Call [phone] to register.

Epilepsy Foundation

Epilepsy Foundation of Louisiana’s Baton Rouge Support Group will meet from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday on the sixth floor of the NeuroMedical Center, 10101 Park Rowe Ave. The group is open to adults with epilepsy/seizure disorders, their family members, caregivers and friends. For more information, call [phone].

Life Source Services

Life Source Services Hospice, 3049 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• A grief support group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the office.
• A new grief support group will meet from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at La Plantation Retirement Community, 26635 La. 16 (Pete’s Highway) in Denham Springs.
• LSS is seeking volunteers for many of its projects. Call [phone].

Foot Institute

The Diabetic Foot Institute, 5428 O’Donovan Drive, Suite D, will offer complimentary diabetic foot screenings on Friday. Screening will include thermal imaging, blood flow study, gait analysis and neuropathy screening. Call [phone] to schedule.

Diocese of BR

The Diocese of Baton Rouge will offer a one-day conference devoted to finding the balance in dementia care from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Catholic Life Center, 1800 South Acadian Thruway. Cost is $10 and $15 for walk-ins. For more information, call [phone].

Medicare

The national medical training program, Medigam (Medicare Supplement Insurance), will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 7, Aug. 21, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18 at BR Meeting Room, 10466 Airline Highway, Suite E. Also, a guide to long-term care planning, “Maintaining Your Independence and Preserving Your Assets,” will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Aug. 7, Aug. 21, Sept. 4 and Sept. 18 at the BR Meeting Room. For more information about the free events, call [phone].

Hospice Associates

Hospice Associates, 8119 Picardy Ave., is seeking direct-care volunteers for patient/caregiver support and companionship. The organization is also seeking veteran volunteers for its We Honor Veterans Program to share their life journey with veteran patients and their families. For details, call [phone].

Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers to staff its Cancer Resource Center. For more information, call [phone].

Alcoholics help

Alcoholics Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women who help each other recover from alcoholism, meets daily. Call [phone] or visit http://www.aa-batonrouge.org.

Al-Anon/Alateen

Al-Anon Family Groups, a 12-step program to help those affected by someone’s problem drinking, holds meetings daily in the Baton Rouge area. There are no fees. Meetings are confidential. Call [phone] or visit the website, http://www.batonrougealanon.org.

Overeating help

Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program without dues, fees or diets, holds meetings seven days a week in the greater Baton Rouge area. For details, call [phone] or visit http://www.oabatonrouge.org.

Gambling help

Gamblers Anonymous, a support group for people with gambling problems, holds multiple meetings every week in Baton Rouge, Baker, St. Francisville, Gonzales and Hammond.

For dates, times and locations, call (877) 770-STOP or [phone].

Narcotics Anon.

Need help with a drug problem? Narcotics Anonymous holds daily meetings. Call the helpline at [phone].