PLATTSBURGH -- Caring for a loved one who has dementia is a full-time job and more.

"Every little task can be monumental," said Kenna LaPorte, of the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center at Plattsburgh State.

That's why the center approached faith-based organizations about pitching in.

"Respite is such a needed thing for family members," she said. "Caregivers get so overwhelmed by the demands put on them. Our goal with this project was to ease care-giving in a variety of ways. We wanted to make their care-giving situation a little bit better and maybe a little bit easier."

HOW MEMORY WORKS

To date, the Alzheimer's Assistance Center has trained the members of three church groups who now provide various services.

"They learned about Alzheimer's disease and working with this population," LaPorte said.

It's important people understand that, while Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia (about 52 percent of diagnosed cases), others exist as well, with their own pattern of decline.

The volunteers learned how memory works, about how to communicate with someone with dementia.

"They learned to talk about the past with the person, because short-term memory is impacted."

And they learned about activities that are appropriate for a person whose memory function is failing.

In the course of the training, members of Mooers United Methodist Church's Youth Group Cafe helped with a caregivers' retreat put on by the Alzheimer's Disease Assistance Center.

"They had such a good time," LaPorte said.

MEALS, VISITORS

That group has developed its own program -- members will deliver a meal to a person with dementia and his or her caregivers the third Sunday of the month. A member will stay and visit upon request. To have a meal delivered, call Lisa Delong at 236-5501 or e-mail youthgroupcafe@yahoo.com.