In the ongoing effort to meet the needs of the community in regard to dementia care, the Alzheimer’s Association is launching a new support group for those caring for loved ones who have young-onset dementia. This group is free and open to the public.
The first meeting is Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cleveland YMCA Community Room at 222 Urbane Road. The group will meet on an ongoing monthly basis, the second Thursday of each month.
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated to total $203 billion in 2013. “As staggering as those numbers are, most of the care that is provided for those who have Alzheimer’s is done by unpaid caregivers”, said Amy French, manager of programs for the Alzheimer’s Association. In Tennessee, there are more than 414 thousand unpaid caregivers.
“The fiscal cost is huge, but the stress of caregiving takes an even bigger toll on caregivers,” Ms. French said. In response to this need, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a number of support groups throughout the community. These groups are free and open to the public. No registration is required.
For more information about Alzheimer’s disease and the services provided by the Alzheimer’s Association visit their website at www.alz.org/tn, or contact the local office at 800 272-3900.