Caring for someone with dementia is complex and involves coordination across multiple aspects of care, including medical treatment, cognitive support and assistance with daily living. Those issues will be explored in a Wyoming Dementia Together program Wednesday, March 25, at 10:30 a.m.

"When most people think of dementia, they often focus on memory loss, but dementia frequently occurs alongside other medical conditions that can significantly affect a person's health and overall quality of life," says Katherine Kitchen Andren, a University of Utah neuropsychologist. "This is why caring for someone with dementia involves more than addressing memory changes -- it requires caring for the whole person. For caregivers, this means looking at the big picture -- not just memory changes, but the person's overall health, comfort and daily experience."

Kitchen Andren will lead the March 25 Zoom program, "Beyond Memory Loss: Tackling Common Comorbidities in Caring for our Loved Ones." Information on how to participate may be found on the Wyoming Dementia Together Caregiver Network website.

Wyoming Dementia Together, which offers support services to those caring for people living with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, operates under the direction of the University of Wyoming Center on Aging.

Kitchen Andren says taking a "whole-person approach" as a caregiver "can help improve your loved one's quality of life -- and make caregiving more manageable as well." She also says the discussion will focus on understanding whole-person care; managing coexisting conditions; early identification and intervention; and supporting caregivers themselves.

Wyoming Dementia Together provides virtual informational programs every other Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Programs feature guest speakers and allow time for interaction from those who attend online. Support staff members include dementia care professionals; licensed clinical social workers; physical and occupational therapists; and caregivers themselves.

Future program topics will feature "Prepared, Not Panicked: A Caregiver's Guide to Emergency Readiness," April 8; "The Caregiver Compass: Navigating Dementia Care Through Values and Preferences," April 22; "The Conversation that Cares: Strengthening Family Bonds in Dementia Care," May 6; and "The Heart of Care: Upholding Dignity in Dementia Care," May 20.

For information regarding registration for these online Zoom calls and the other free services offered by Wyoming Dementia Together, call the Wyoming Center on Aging at (307) 766-2829 or email [email protected].