In supporting individuals with dementia and their caregivers, JFCS’ throughline is connection

By Roni Falck, MSW • Senior Services Program Manager

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to stop and consider how we can support people with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their caregivers, along with ways we can support individual brain health.

JFCS of Minnesota takes a multi-pronged approach to best support individuals with dementia and their family caregivers. While the services vary in scope, the throughline is connection. Programs like Memory Café* bring people with memory loss and their caregivers together for engagement and connection. Simply said, it’s a chance to break the monotony and have a good day together. Education sessions like Dementia Friends* help reduce stigma, and the often accompanying isolation, around the illness. 

Family caregivers can find connection and support in our quarterly Powerful Tools for Caregivers class and Dementia Caregiver Connect*. Our newly re-launched online caregiver support group is another way to foster connection. These groups are led by trained facilitators as an opportunity to find education, support and connection in what can be an isolating period of life.

JFCS knows that social connection is a key element in supporting brain health, and one of the most meaningful ways we have found to foster social connection is through 1:1 volunteer/client matches. Volunteers in the community are matched with JFCS Senior Services clients for friendship and companionship. Together they meet twice a month, either at the client’s home, or out in the community to grab lunch, see a movie or any outing that’s of mutual interest.

These pairs form lasting connections, with volunteers often sharing they get more out of the relationship than the senior with whom they are matched. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering, please contact Dana Shaprio, Community and Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager, at 952-417-2112 or dshapiro@jfcsmn.org.

*Memory Café is supported by the Machov Family. Dementia Caregiver Connect and Dementia Friends are supported by a grant from the Minnesota Board on Aging.