Monthly sessions for those assisting loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia to begin again in August

LONGMEADOW—Glenmeadow’s monthly Caregivers Support Group and Memory Café, two programs for people living with dementia and their caregivers, will relaunch on Zoom in August.

“We are dedicated to serving the needs of people living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia and the people who love and care for them, and we have created a way to continue to provide resources during the pandemic,” said Glenmeadow’s President and CEO Anne Thomas. “Using Zoom, we can regroup with those who were taking part before COVID-19 and also offer the program to people who might have found it difficult to get to us in the past, for various reasons.”

Glenmeadow’s Caregivers Support Group, for both professionals and family members who are assisting someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, offers information and support. It is designed to provide participants with an opportunity to learn more about dementia and to understand their individual feelings about the life changes associated with it. 

The group is open to the public; Zoom meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month at noon and the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. 

The support group will meet:

• Aug. 12 at noon, and Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
• Sept. 9 at noon, and Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 14 at noon, and Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Glenmeadow’s Memory Café will also resume virtually on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Individuals with early to moderate Alzheimer’s and their care partners, and those who may be concerned about their memory, are invited to take part.

An organized activity—such as words games, trivia, and sing-alongs—will be offered.

“Being active physically, socially, and mentally is good for the brain and can combat isolation for both the care partner and the person living with dementia,” Thomas said.

The Memory Café meeting dates are:

• Aug. 26 at 1:30 p.m.
• Sept. 23 at 1:30 p.m. 
• Oct. 28 at 1:30 p.m.

Both programs are free, but reservations are required so that Glenmeadow staff can email an invitation to connect on Zoom. Email Laura Lavoie at llavoie@glenmeadow.org, or call her at 413-355-5905 or 800-633-6313.

Glenmeadow is a nonprofit life plan community—formerly known as a retirement community—and it has a mission to serve seniors in the Greater Springfield region, whether they live on the Longmeadow campus or in their own homes.

Established in 1884, Glenmeadow is an accredited life plan community; it provides independent and assisted living at its campus at 24 Tabor Crossing in Longmeadow and expanded Glenmeadow at Home services throughout greater Springfield.  

To learn more about Glenmeadow and its history and offerings, visit www.glenmeadow.org. 

About Glenmeadow 

In the 1800s, elderly individuals without family or means were sent to live at what was called “the poor farm.”  In 1884, a group of civic leaders raised funds among themselves and other area families and purchased a house on Main Street in Springfield’s south end, establishing The Springfield Home for Aged Women. Quickly outgrowing that house, land was purchased on the corner of Chestnut and Carew streets, where a new home was constructed and opened in 1900.  In 1960, the name was changed to Chestnut Knoll, and, in 1992, it began to admit men.  

In 1993, the organization purchased a 23-acre parcel in Longmeadow to build a new community that would provide both independent living and assisted living in one building with various common areas.  This was a new concept known as a continuing care retirement community.  Existing residents from the old Chestnut Knoll property were moved to the new campus in 1997.  Shortly after the move, the board voted to change its legal name to Glenmeadow to coincide with the name being used by the developer of the property.  

Continuing care retirement communities are now referred to as life plan communities, responding to the needs of the aging population with new opportunities for care, plus creative, educational, and personal exploration. Glenmeadow offerings, which include everything from senior living options and handyman services to personal care and travel programs, are provided at its Longmeadow campus and across the region through Glenmeadow at Home. Glenmeadow strives to fulfill its mission of nurturing the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.

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