Free caregiver support group offered Wednesday

For those who need help caring for seniors with memory issues, a free support group is available next Wednesday.

Participants who attend the group meeting will hear from a caregiver about how she cares for a loved one with dementia, according to Silver Pathways owner and geriatric specialist Kristina Blocker.

"It (the group) will give them some insight on what is to come for them if they are a caregiver and what they can expect along the way," Blocker said.

Blocker will offer suggestions and coping strategies.

Formerly known as Dementia Care Advisors, Silver Pathways was founded in 2011 and specializes in lifestyle plans for seniors, according to Blocker.

"I decided to start a business with educating families on what to do and how to cope with dementia and what to expect when the unexpected happens, how to communicate, that sort of thing," Blocker said.

Wednesday's support group offers participants an opportunity to meet with other caregivers to receive information and support. Group attendees can also ask questions and get information about other resources, according to Silver Pathways administrative assistant Lana Winkler.

"Our support groups are very small and intimate," Winkler said. "We focus on the caregivers whose loved ones have dementia."

In addition to monthly support groups, Silver Pathways offers free seminars. "Stages of Dementia" is a workshop that outlines the seven stages of dementia, general memory loss and Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia. Information provided in the session will help those who care for individuals with dementia.

The free Silver Pathways workshops and support groups are funded by Seniors First, a Placer County-based nonprofit organization that offers programs, services and support for local seniors, according to Blocker.

Silver Pathways also offers fee-based private counseling and lifestyle plans for seniors. The fee-based plans include individual and family consultations to discuss options for assisted living, professional home care, memory care, care plans and more.

For a list of upcoming support groups and seminars, visit Silver Pathways at silverpathways.org.