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SUPPORT GROUPS
TORI BOYER, Support groups are offered for
SENIOR CARE COUNSELOR caregivers as well as family and friends
of people living with Alzheimer’s or
Tori Boyer has been a care another dementia. They provide a safe place to talk
counselor at Alzheimer’s Los through challenges, share feelings and concerns,
Angeles for over five and learn about available resources. Alzheimer’s LA
years. She works exclusively support group facilitators are experienced, trained
with people in the early staff or volunteers who work closely together to ensure
stage of dementia, oversees caregivers are provided up-to-date and pertinent
the early-stage programs, and supervises other early- resources, information, and support.
stage staff and interns. Tori shares that, “People with
early memory loss often feel alone and they believe
that others do not relate to what they are going JIM KELLY,
through. To be able to provide support, education, SUPPORT GROUP LEADER
and help empower people and connect them to
others feels like life-changing work.” After his mother-in-law
passed away, Jim Kelly’s
original retirement plans
EARLY STAGE changed. He and his wife
SERVICES had been caregivers for her
her mother, but it wasn’t until
Early Stage Services are designed for
those with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), early toward the end of their caregiving that they became
stage Alzheimer’s, and other dementias to help them aware of support groups. Jim shares, “In the short time
and their families by empowering them with I did attend a group, I became more aware of
community resources, I felt an open and honest sense
information, resources, and connections. Memory of community, and I learned the language of being a
Club, Grad Club, and the Early Memory Loss caregiver. After six years as a facilitator, I still find it
Conference address concerns, enable earlier rewarding to witness the generosity of family caregivers.”
treatment, and empower families to plan for the future
in many ways including financial and legal matters.
ACTIVITY GROUPS
Activity groups are offered for
Memory Club is a comprehensive support, people in the early to middle-stages
education, and peer group for individuals of Alzheimer’s or another dementia with their
experiencing early-stage symptoms of memory caregivers attending especially when in person.
loss due to Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s, Two popular activity groups are BasebALZ and
or another dementia and for their family or friend Memories in the Making®. BasebALZ uses baseball
care partners. Participants spend eight weeks as a topic for reminiscence therapy. Memories in the
forming friendships, learning from each other and Making is a unique fine arts program that offers
from expert speakers on how to navigate life after creative and non-verbal communication and
receiving a diagnosis. captures precious moments through art.
