Living with and caring for a loved one with dementia can be isolating. DOROT and CaringKind’s new support group open to Temple Emanu-El members, Partnering Together: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia, seeks to connect caregivers of loved ones with early-stage dementia with peers navigating similar challenges and complexities.
“Sometimes you need to be in the same room with people going through the same thing. It’s very reassuring and validating,” said Jane Blumenstein, Manager of Synagogue Partnership Programs at DOROT. “We also know people like to be part of these groups within their existing communities. It can be more comforting to participate in something like this through your synagogue.”
The support group is a new 10-week psychoeducational program led by DOROT Synagogue Partnership Social Worker Caley Coughlan and a social worker from CaringKind. The group will cover topics such as how family relationships change and evolve as dementia progresses, building support systems, grief and loss, and planning for various legal and financial scenarios. Participants will also explore the role of spirituality and religion in caregiving for people with dementia and their families.
Partnering Together: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia is the latest DOROT program available to Temple Emanu-El members. Temple Emanu-El has been a longtime synagogue partner of DOROT. Clergy and DOROT staff work together to connect Temple Emanu-El members with DOROT’s programs and resources for older adults. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Blumenstein started leading an online conversation group for older adult Temple Emanu-El members. Six years later, the group is still going strong.
“We’re always looking for ways to serve synagogues,” Blumenstein said.
As Partnering Together: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia gets off the ground, Blumenstein and Coughlan hope the group will fill an important need for caregivers and their loved ones.
“The goal is to provide a supportive space where caregivers can access resources, information, and community as they and their loved ones adjust to this diagnosis and transition,” Blumenstein said.
Learn more and sign up for Partnering Together: Caring for a Loved One with Dementia at this link. The group’s first meeting is Wednesday, June 24.
