Acting as a caregiver for an individual with dementia is a daunting task. Every day, you will experience challenges, most of which you’ve never faced before. It’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially if you don’t have people around you who truly understand the role you’re playing.
Memory Matters Utah/Nevada is an organization working to help those experiencing dementia, and their caregivers. Serving the communities of southern Utah and southeastern Nevada, this nonprofit strives to provide education and support.
Memory Matters Utah/Nevada is led by individuals with a true passion for helping those navigating the difficult path of dementia, and many of its staff members have acted as caregivers themselves.
Services For Individuals With Dementia
Early Stage Memory Loss Series
The Early Stage Memory Loss Series is a 10-week course. It was created to serve as an educational resource for both those in the early stages of dementia as well as their primary care partner.
The series is offered twice a year, beginning in February and September. Each class covers topics such as financial preparation, stress management, and even brain training exercises.
A donation of $25 is suggested, but costs are covered for those unable to afford the series on their own. For a sample of past sessions, visit their website.
Memory Activity Club
The Memory Activity Club is a group for those in moderate stages of dementia. Through meaningful activities related to topics such as art, music, and poetry, attendees strive to improve their cognitive abilities. These activities exercise the brain without feeling like work.
Apart from working on cognitive function, those with dementia also have the opportunity to build friendships with individuals who face the same challenges they do. Many caregivers have found their loved one to have a positive change in outlook and attitude from regular meeting attendance.
The Memory Activity Club doesn’t just benefit those with dementia, however. It also offers a reprieve to caregivers taking care of their loved one. Meetings are four hours long and include snacks, lunch, and activities. They’re held three days a week and cost $35 per class.
Services For Caregivers
Private Caregiver Consultations
Memory Matters Utah/Nevada offers two types of consultations: Memory testing consultations and care consultations.
Memory testing consultations offer clients a cognitive assessment. Once completed, the results can be used to talk with your loved one’s doctor.
Care consultations are open to both caregivers as well as other family members. Topics such as coping, strategies, and options for care may be discussed. The consultant can assist you in creating a care plan for your loved one, and they can also help you adjust this plan as the disease progresses.
Support Groups
A variety of support groups for caregivers are held in southern Utah and Nevada. Currently, support groups are active in St. George, Kanab, New Harmony, and Mesquite. These groups are held at various times and days of the week, and they repeat either weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
These groups are free and open to the public. View the support group calendar on their website.
Frontal-Temporal Dementia Support Group
In collaboration with the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), Memory Matters Utah/Nevada holds a quarterly support group helpful for those caring for someone with frontal-temporal dementia. This group meets in the St. George area and is free to the public. It is facilitated by an individual with personal caretaking experience of a loved one with FTD.
Good Morning Sunshine Telephone Reassurance Program
The Good Morning Sunshine Telephone Reassurance Program gives caregivers who live alone extra peace of mind. For these individuals, they are their loved one’s sole lifeline. If something happens to them, the person they care for could be in danger.
The program connects caregivers to trained volunteers who call them each day at a convenient time. If the caregiver doesn’t answer or if there is an immediate need, their emergency contact will be sent to check on them.
Whether it’s the person experiencing the effects of dementia or the person taking care of them, all involved need educational and emotional support. Memory Matters Utah/Nevada is an excellent source of this support for those in southern Utah and southeast Nevada. For more organizations, you may find helpful, visit our community resources page.