Dementia Support Group of Panama City

Our 1st Thursday Dementia Support Group will be starting a new Series on 4/7/22 called Senior GEM of the Month.  In April, the GEM of the Month is Sapphire.  During that meeting, you will learn about the Characteristics of Sapphire including:

•Normal aging, no dementia, healthy and non-stressed

•Brain mostly stays the same–slower, but still intact'

You will discuss strategies to avoid such as:

•Telling them what to do instead of asking

During this meeting, you will discuss strategis that work such as

•Respect their choices and decisions

•Use validation and empathy 

How does the Senior GEMS help?

•Use familiar concepts to talk about a difficult subject

•Focus on what is valued

•Allow us to get beyond the words dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

•Open the door to talking about changes

•Allow us to speak in code to protect dignity

•Offer strategies and techniques to improve care and interactions

When a person hears that his / her loved one is living with Dementia, reactions range from denial, anger, fear, and helplessness.  Doctors diagnose Dementia but don’t always have the answer to the question, “What do I do now?” Our Dementia Support Group of Panama City was formed to promote awareness and advocacy for people living with Dementia and to provide Care partners with information, answers, and support.

Meetings are free and open to the public.  We encourage Caregivers to attend, but also anyone who feels overwhelmed by the challenges of Caregiving.  You are not alone.  Refreshments are served; if you are planning to attend, please RSVP.

About Us... 

Our free 1st Thursday Dementia Support Group of Panama City (Facebook) started meeting in June 2018.   Senior Helpers of Panama City wanted to share the Senior GEMS Caregiver Training with the community - free - once a month.   The meetings are supported by Dementia Family Pathways - committed to increasing awareness and advocacy for dementia by providing education, support and resources for Caregivers, first responders, healthcare professionals, and family.

See Dementia Familly Pathways website for more information about achieving Dementia Care Excellence in our Region.

https://dementiafamilypathways.com 

The goal for our meetings is for Caregivers to have a place to go where they can share common challenges and find ideas and strategies that help during activities of daily living.

We use Dementia Care strategies such as Senior GEMS® and Positive Physical Approach® to offer solutions for the challenges caregivers face every day. Caregivers help each other solve problems and show support for each other in the process.