LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As family members get older, there are new health challenges that a lot of us will have to face.
Dignity Health St. Rose Dominican is making that transition a little easier, especially for people displaying signs of dementia.
Good Morning Las Vegas anchor Justin Hinton sat in on one of the free group therapy classes and spoke to a participant about what they've done for his family.
Rachel Coe was living in Baltimore, but now in her 80s, her son Joe thought it was about time she came to live with him. After she arrived, Joe said he noticed she was having significant issues remembering anything.
"I noticed that her cognition abilities were declining, meaning she couldn't remember anything," he said. "And those were not just her words. That was supported by her actions and her behaviors. She would always call and say, 'Hey have you seen?' or 'What have I done? Do you remember?' It was like, Mom, there's a bigger issue here."
He would later learn that it was dementia. But before getting that diagnosis, he enrolled her in Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican's free cognitive stimulation therapy program.
For two hours a week, over the course of seven weeks, participants exercise their brains through word games, identifying faces or scenes, and singing.
"73 percent have improved their cognition, but even if they don't improve their cognition, their depression scores increase, quality of life for their caregiver and them increases," said Mary Ann Kelly, a Women's Health Educator at St. Rose Dominican. "So it's something we're going to continue to offer to the community because we really feel it's really important."
The caregivers have their own set of classes, learning about what their loved ones are going through and how to process it for themselves.
"We were able to talk," Joe said. "The best part about all of that, we realized, we weren't in it alone."
There is no cure for dementia, but Mary Ann Kelly says the goal is to try to slow it down, contributing to a better quality of life for the patient and the caregiver. It's also something that Joe can see, now that his mom is back home in Baltimore with a bigger circle of family and friends.
"The benefit of the information I gained here is that it can never be taken away," Joe said.
His family, including Mom, is now armed with more knowledge and preparation for what's to come.
"She came to the conclusion, 'Woah, I can see I'm slipping in this area'," Joe said. "It was a self-awareness for her that says to me it's working."
The program is free and the deadline to sign up is this Friday, September 1, with the next class beginning on September 19.
If you know someone who might benefit, you can call (702) 616-4919.
