Youngstown JCC to launch Alzheimer’s disease support group

For example, when family members visit the facility, telling their loved one goodbye could upset them. Vincent recommends that family members say they are going to the bathroom.

"What we've noticed is families really don't understand what's happening with their loved one," said Vincent. "They try to treat that person the same way they treated them when they were at home."

These are the types of tips that family members of someone with Alzheimer's might receive through the new support program at the Jewish Community Center.

Dorothy Barto of the Alzheimer Network will host a lunch event today (Nov. 20) at 1 pm. Barto will also facilitate a monthly support group, starting Dec. 18 at 1 p.m.

The group will give family members of people with Alzheimer's the chance to learn more about the disease and share their struggles.

"It provides a way for families to talk about what they're experiencing," said Vincent. About half of the population served at Heritage Manor and Levy Gardens has memory issues, Vincent said.

Vincent hopes that the group will encourage family members to plan as the disease progresses.

A support group in Howland helped Marcia Levy throughout the course of her husband Newman's eight-year illness.

"Everyone in the support group was just like me," Levy said. With her sons living in Cleveland and Columbus, having local support was crucial.

In the beginning of his illness, she cared for her husband at home. She hired caregivers after a trip to the hospital revealed that she was taking on too much.

"It took a big toll on me," Levy said. Her doctor told her that she needed help caring for her husband.

The group supported Levy as she witnessed her husband, an accountant and president of Heritage Manor, struggle to recognize their home while walking the dog and eventually forget how to sit down.

"It was just heartbreaking," Levy said, though she credited her meetings with the support group.

"We found a way to cope."

For information about the monthly support group at the Jewish Community Center, visit jccyoungstown.org or contact the registration office at 330-746-3250 , Ext.195

This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 6:55 AM with the headline "Youngstown JCC to launch Alzheimer’s disease support group."