Workshop ministers to families caring for people with dementia

Due West United Methodist will hold its third annual workshop for faith and community leaders on ways to serve families facing dementia on May 17.

The workshop, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the church, 3956 Due West Road in Marietta.

“One of its main messages of our upcoming workshop is to shine as much light as possible on the enormous opportunity the church has to develop such programs to better love those who live with dementia and their families,” said Sheila Welch, coordinator and developer of Loving Through Dementia.

Speakers include the Rev. Kenneth Carder, a retired UMC bishop, and author of “Ministry with the Forgotten: Dementia Through a Spiritual Lens” and instructor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C., the Rev. Kathy Berry, who has served in long-term care, hospital and hospice settings, and is author of “When Words Fail: Practical Ministry to People with Dementia and Their Caregivers,” and Daphne Johnston, developer and director of Adult Respite Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Montgomery.

Dementia is a progressive disease that is characterized by loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other cognitive abilities that are severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia.

By 2050, the number of Georgians living with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to reach 190,000, an increase of 26.7%, according to the “2022 Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures” report, released annually by the Alzheimer’s Association.

The increase will put additional pressure on caregivers and families.

To register go to lovingthroughdementia.org.

DREAMSTIME/TNS One of the most common and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is forgetting recently learned information.