An Alzheimer and Dementia Family Caregiver Support Group Meeting will be held in the Saint Mary Home Center 1 Dining Room, located at 2021 Albany Avenue in West Hartford , on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m.  This meeting is free and open to the public.

 

 

“Caregiver support groups offer a forum for the exchange of information needed to provide care for persons with memory loss as well as an opportunity for friends and family to share valuable information, caregiving tips and concerns throughout the Alzheimer and Dementia journeys,” said Eileen Cleary, RN, CRRN, MA, NHA, director for Dementia Education and Programming at Saint Mary Home and director of the support group.

 

“Coping with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia does not have to be a lonely experience, although it is common to feel alone and to think that no one can understand what is happening in your life.  Participation in a support group can help, by giving family members and friends a chance to share their feelings with others who do understand because they, too, have a loved one with Alzheimer’s or Dementia,” Cleary explained.

 

 By participating in Saint Mary Home ’s free Family Caregiver Support Group, family members and friends will:

 

 

 

• Obtain information about Dementia and community resources
• Understand the behavior of the individual with Alzheimer’s
• Receive validation for ambivalent feelings
• Learn specific strategies to manage their relative’s behavior
• Receive encouragement to maintain or regain their personal lives.

 

 

 

If you are able to register to attend in advance, or if you have any questions about the Alzheimer and Dementia Family Caregiver Support Group, please contact Eileen Cleary at 860.570.8335.  While advance registration is preferred, walk-ins will be welcome.