DES MOINES, IOWA (November 12, 2024) — During National Family Caregivers and National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November, and all year round, the Alzheimer’s Association offers free resources to families caring for a loved one living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Caring for those living with this disease poses special challenges for family caregivers, and no caregiver should face this disease alone.
Currently, there are nearly 100,000 caregivers in Iowa providing care to more than 62,000 people living with Alzheimer’s.
The Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter offers many free resources for families facing this disease including:
· Fifty local caregiver support groups in communities across the state and a virtual group for young-adult caregivers on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is on November 20, 6:30PM.
· In-person and virtual education programs, including a 7-part series to help empower caregivers throughout the holiday season on each Thursday at 11AM via Zoom, November 7–December 26.
· 24/7 Helpline — 800-272-3900 — staffed by master’s level trained clinicians available 24/7, 365 days of the year to answer any question about the disease.
Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s takes longer, lasts longer, is more personal and extensive than most other diseases, and takes a heavy toll on the health of the caregivers themselves. As a result, many dementia caregivers neglect their own health needs and that can lead to a crisis. The Alzheimer’s Association is here to make sure dementia caregivers have all the tools and support they need to care for not only their loved one living with the disease, but themselves as well.
Visit alz.org/iowa for a full list of local care and support resources.
