UW-Led Wyoming Dementia Together Offers ‘The Soul of Care: Nurturing Spiritual Well-Being in Dementia Support’ Program Feb. 25

The connection between soul, spiritual well-being and dementia is a close one. A better understanding of this connection can be valuable help to the caregiver of a loved one living with dementia.

This is according to Lou Farley, the spiritual director of Hospice of Laramie, who will discuss this connection during “The Soul of Care: Nurturing Spiritual Well-Being in Dementia Support,” a free, public program offered by Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) through Zoom Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 10:30 a.m.

WDT operates under the direction of the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA). The group provides virtual informational programs by Zoom call every other Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The programs feature guest speakers and allow time for interaction from those who attend online.

“We will be discussing what people think of when they hear the words soul, nurturing, spiritual well-being and dementia,” Farley says. “We will discuss how their understanding of these words affects both caregiver and patient resilience, and we will be looking at the ingredients of spiritual nutrition and where to find them, including some practices for self-care for caregivers.”

Farley also will share the general importance of hospice care in Wyoming.

“We provide professional, compassionate and reliable support, helping families to find peace and connection through the natural process of dying, with care that goes above and beyond,” he says.

WDT offers support services to those caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Its support staff members include dementia care professionals, licensed clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and caregivers themselves.

Caregivers from throughout Wyoming and surrounding states have benefited.

“These are awesome resources. Thanks so much,” says one caregiver following a recent WDT program.

Future WDT program topics will feature “Beyond Words: Building Connection Through Enlightened Communication,” Wednesday, March 11, and “Beyond Memory Loss: Tackling Common Comorbidities in Caring for our Loved Ones,” Wednesday, March 25.

More information is available online at the Wyoming Dementia Together Caregiver Network site.

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