Financial Considerations Topic of UW’s Wyoming Dementia Together Program

“Financial Considerations with a Dementia Diagnosis” is the topic of the latest Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) program Wednesday, Sept. 20.

WDT is a statewide, nonprofit caregiver network operating through the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA). WDT meets by Zoom call every other Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. throughout the year. Programs feature guest speakers and allow time for interaction from those who attend online.

According to the latest program, life can change quickly for an entire family when one of its members receives a dementia diagnosis -- the changes can be numerous. Financial considerations are one of the most common of these changes and sometimes can be among the most unexpected and the most overlooked.

“Finances can be a very delicate subject to discuss, particularly since the family is already under the stress of receiving such a diagnosis,” says Carol Taylor, a Jackson licensed clinical social worker who specializes in elder care issues. “We will be looking at some strategies designed to help families navigate this journey -- strategies which have been successfully used by others in the past. We believe this is an especially helpful session, particularly for those who have just received such a diagnosis.”

Caregivers from throughout Wyoming and surrounding states have benefited from the WDT programs.

Representatives of several out-of-state universities also attend the calls to gather ideas for their own dementia-related support services.

WDT includes dementia care professionals, licensed clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and caregivers themselves. WDT began meeting in fall 2020 and has since been offering online programming assistance.

For information about registering for Zoom calls and the other free services offered by WDT, call WyCOA at (307) 766-2829 or email wycoa@uwyo.edu.

For more information, go to the WDT Caregiver Network website.