Non-professional caregivers for people who need help with memory care now have a new support group in Jacksonville.
The Alzheimer’s Association of Illinois has launched a Jacksonville area support group. The support group will meet the fourth Thursday of every month, except on holidays at City Church, located at 129 East Vandalia Road.
Todd Lamison of the Alzheimer’s Association of Illinois office in Quincy says the group is a way to connect those caregivers with both support and services: “Part of what we do is that we have these support groups where they get together once a month to kind of talk among themselves about how it is to deal with taking care of someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s. We have two of them in the area. The amount of support just mentally and emotionally that people get from this can’t be stated enough. It’s just an opportunity for people that are dealing with the fact that their loved one may not remember who they are, they may be getting violent towards them, they may not remember key times and experiences that have occurred. I’ve heard from so many people who lost somebody from Alzheimer’s that was a direct caretaker. They talk about how they lose their loved the first time when they forget who they are, and then they feel guilty the second time years later when they pass away. We are here to try and support them through those things.”
For those in the Winchester area, the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group meetings are on the third Saturday of every month at the Winchester United Methodist Church, located at 20 North Walnut.
All support group activities are free to attend.
Lamison says if you would like to learn more information about services, visit alz.org/illinois online or call the Alzheimer’s Association free hotline at 1-800-272-3900 or call the Quincy office at 217-641-0141.