BETHEL – Volunteer respite training for friends and neighbors of people with dementia will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 2 and 9, at the West Parish Congregational Church, Church Street.

Peg Gagnon, MS, information and outreach specialist for the Alzheimer’s Association, will conduct the free education classes.

Gagnon said, “There are over 1,250 people with Alzheimer’s disease in Oxford County. The people are our family members, our friends and our neighbors. These classes will give you the information and tools needed to provide some help to the many who need it.”

The first class will cover the stages of Alzheimer’s, what happens and what to expect; effects of the disease on perception; and understanding behavior as communication.

The April 9 class will cover safety issues, the importance of the person’s life story and ways to spend valuable time with a person who has dementia.

The public is invited and admission is free. Advance registration will be appreciated to help with planning. Call R. Tifft at 824-2053.

The classes are provided as a community service by Western Mountains Senior College through its To Your Health Committee. Other sponsors are the Bethel Family Health Center, SAD 44/Community Education, Wayne DuPlessis, counselor, and the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine.