Dementia Caregivers Support Group

Monthly, second Thursday afternoons, 3:00-4:00pm
Facilitator: Alyssa Langejans, Evergreen Commons Caregiver Support Coordinator
Green Room just inside Entrance D

If you or someone you know has a loved one with dementia or cares for someone with dementia, please join us.  Here are upcoming topics we will be discussing:

• April 9:  Connections and Communication – Learn strategies to express empathy and maintain dignity while your loved one has dementia.

Beginning in May: Caring for someone with dementia brings a unique mix of love, loss, and uncertainty. In this support group, we will walk alongside one another using Loving Someone Who Has Dementia by Pauline Boss as our guide. Her work introduces the concept of “ambiguous loss,” helping us put words to the complicated emotions that often come with this journey.

Over the course of four months, we will explore selected themes from the book, taking time to reflect, share, and support one another in a safe and understanding space. Each chapter in the book will contain separate ideas and themes, but you will note overlap and a common theme throughout. The theme is that you can find meaning in your changed relationship. Once you make sense of it, you can more easily discover new hope and peace despite the stress of dementia’s ambiguous loss.
You can follow along with a book of your own, or we will have handouts and summaries available on each month’s topic.

• May 14:  Chapter One: “The Ambiguous Loss of Dementia” – Explains what ambiguous loss is, how it is related to you, and why it can cause depression and anxiety. Chapter Two: “The Complications of Both Loss and Grief” – The complicated grief is caused by ambiguous loss – in this case, by the dementia, which requires a special kind of grieving.
• June 11:  Chapter Three: “Stress, Coping, and Resiliency” – Once we acknowledge our own stress issues, your coping can begin. Knowing what the problem is allows you to deal with it. Chapter Four: “The Myth of Closure” – Realizing that closure is the wrong goal with dementia, and what you can learn from the many people who live comfortably without it. Many Caregivers embrace the ambiguity rather than fighting it.
• July 9:  Chapter Five: “The Psychological Family” – In addition to your biological family, a family in your heart and mind can be your psychological family. This can be very comforting when you feel alone and isolated, or overwhelmed. Chapter Six: “Family Rituals, Celebrations and Gatherings” – Focuses on ways to help you stay connected to others while you are providing care. Chapter Seven: “Seven Guidelines for the Journey” – Providing guidelines for finding your way on your journey with dementia.
• August 13:  Chapter Eight: “Delicious Ambiguity” – Presents the positive side of Dementia’s ambiguity. When we can see a good side, it can give us back a sense of control. Chapter Nine: “The Good-Enough Relationship” – Suggests that a “good-enough” relationship can be good.

We also offer the opportunity for individuals with specific concerns or needs to connect one-on-one with an Evergreen Commons Dementia Support Specialist. For more information on the support group or to be connected with a specialist, contact Melissa Langworthy or 796-3346.