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| Coping with
Alzheimer’s shouldn’t be a lonely experience. And it
doesn't have to be.
It’s common to feel alone, to think that
no one can understand what is happening in your life. Participating
in a family group can help, by giving you a chance to share
your feelings with others who do understand … because they
too have a loved one with Alzheimer's.
Or maybe all you need is some answers.
On the other hand, you may not feel this way
at all. But if you have questions about caregiving, awareness
groups are an excellent place to find some answers. Often enough,
other attendees are having--or have had--the same challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
"Why do I need a support group?”
Attending an support or awareness group is
often difficult at first. It takes time to feel comfortable
sharing your problems with people you do not know. However,
the experience of many family members is that once they opened
up, they found that their problems were not so different from
those of other support group members. Suddenly, the people they
were sharing with were not strangers at all, and by sharing
with others in the same situation they felt less alone.
"What if I can’t attend
the meeting at the time it's normally scheduled?”
If you work during the day or you have difficulty
with transportation at night, ask the Alzheimer’s Association
if there are others in your area who would like to meet at a
different time and who may be interested in starting another
group.
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For
more information contact
Lisa
Sitzman
Director, Professional Education
Denise
Holliday
Director, Caregiver Services |
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"What if I can’t leave my
loved one alone?”
Ask the Alzheimer’s Association if respite
services are available. Sometimes the support group will have
a care provider(s) available during the meeting so family caregivers
can attend while someone looks after their loved ones.
“I’m not the primary caregiver.
I’d like to help, but I’m so far away. What can I
do?”
Even if you live miles away from your loved
ones, a local awareness group can still be useful by helping
you understand what the caregiver is facing, so you can offer
assistance. It can be the source of caregiving suggestions and
research updates that you can share with your loved one’s
caregivers
An awareness group also will give you the
opportunity to share your emotions and fears with other family
members. Their understanding and experience can help you cope
with your situation.
More
about long-distance caregiving |
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Local Memory Loss
Awareness Groups
Listed by county. Accurate as of
January 2007
.
Please call the listed facilitators
or the Alzheimer's Association for more information about a
particular awareness group.
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| County |
Site/Facilitators |
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Newell, IA
- Good Samaritan Center, Lower Level
415 West Highway 7
3rd Wednesday - 7:00 pm
Shirley Henrich, (712) 272-3327
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Carroll, IA
- St. Anthony Nursing Home
406 East Anthony St.
2nd Wednesday- 1:30 pm
Luanne Kustra, (712) 792-3581
x370
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Spencer,
IA - Bethany Lutheran
Church
15 W. 14th St.
Last Monday - 7:00 pm
Blaine and Dorothy Hirt,
(712) 332-7398
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Denison, IA - Eventide
Nursing Home
118 S. 20th Street
1st Tuesday-1:30 pm
Mary Burhoop/ Deb Aldag,
(712) 263-3114
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Spirit Lake, IA
- WEL-Life at Spirit Lake
1819 23rd Street
1st Thursday - 2:00 pm
Donna Rieck, (712) 336-3056
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Estherville, IA - Good Samaritan Center
1646 5th Ave. North
1st Monday - 7:00 pm
Dawn Stock, (712) 362-4743
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Holstein, IA - Good
Samaritan Center
505 West 2nd St.
2nd Tuesday - 1:30 pm
Odd months only (Jan/Mar/May/July/Sep/Nov)
Sue Flemming/Sherri Hogle,
(712) 368-4304
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George, IA - Good Samaritan
Center
324 1st Ave. North
3rd Monday-7:00 pm
(712) 475-3391 (ask for
Alison)
W. Lyon/Larchwood, IA - St. Mary's Catholic
Church
413 Holder St.
3rd Tuesday, 6:30 pm
Louise Dubbelde, (712) 477-2984
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Hartley, IA
Community Memorial Health Center
2nd Thursday - 2:00 pm
Kerrie Morey, (712) 728-2428
Sanborn, IA
- Prairie View Campus
610 N. Eastern St.
2nd Tuesday - 7:00 pm
Stacey Dagel, (712) 729-3228
Sheldon, IA - Northwest
Iowa Health Center
118 North 7th Avenue
Last Thursday - 7:00 pm
Sue Roth/Carol Wellcome, (712) 324-6450
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Le Mars, IA - Good Samaritan
Village
1140 Lincoln St. NE
1st Wednesday - 10:00 am
Mary Toel, (712) 546-4101
Remsen, IA - Happy Siesta
Health Care Center
424 Roosevelt St.
Last Tuesday - 5:30 pm
Teresa Paulson, (712) 786-1117
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Lake View, IA - Black
Hawk Life Care Center
73 West 5th
4th Tuesday - 3:30 pm
Odd months only (Jan/Mar/May/July/Sep/Nov)
Malena Schmitz, (712) 657-8527
Sac City, IA - Park View
Care Center
601 Park Ave.
3rd Monday - 6:30 pm
Teresa Bruening, (712) 662-3818
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Sioux Center, IA -
Royal Meadows
Sioux Center Community
Hospital and Health Center
3rd Wednesday - 3:00 pm
Glenda Van Laren, (712) 722-8256
Melinda Faber, (712) 476-8214
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Sioux City, IA - Alzheimer's
Association
420 Chambers Street
4th Thursday, 2:00 pm
Denise
Holliday, (800) 272-3900
Sioux City, IA
- Bickford Cottage Memory Care Residence
4022 Indian Hills Drive
2nd Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.
Joy
Beaver , (712) 239-6851
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