Question: Why do I see some people not wearing masks and gathering in places while we have a COVID virus?

COVID has taken a dramatic decline in recent weeks. Kaweah Health Hospital posted, as of April 13, that they only had eight in the hospital with COVID and none in the ICU. More and more seniors are finally feeling comfortable coming out of their isolation. Churches are now open, senior centers are starting to have gatherings throughout the nation. A record number of seniors are now taking this opportunity to move into senior communities for socialization and fun activities. Many of the senior communities have available apartments and are offering incentives to move now.

For over two years, seniors remained in their homes out of fear of getting the virus. They rarely went out, except for brief shopping days or doctors’ appointments. Many of those seniors are not with us now, because they neglected scheduled surgeries or therapy appointments. The fear of COVID is fading. Spring has ushered in a way of life that we use to take for granted. Many are opting out of masking due to the low risk of getting ill. Some are still choosing to stay masked. The choice is yours.

Question: Do you know of any in-person caregiver/dementia support groups? I have been dealing with my husband, whose dementia has declined dramatically in the past year. I would like to get away from home and visit with others going through the same type of stress.

Due to the shutdown, caregiver support groups were no longer an option for caregivers for the past two years. There will be two opportunities to participate in caregiver support groups, starting in June.

Quail Park on Cypress is offering an in-person support group in Visalia. The Visalia support group will be at 10:30 a.m., on the third Thursday of every month at Quail Park on Cypress, 4520 W. Cypress Ave., Visalia, in the library.

The Remington, in Hanford, will have their support group at 10:30 a.m., on the third Friday of every month. They are located at 2727 N. 11th Ave., Hanford.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but we suggest that you do not bring the person with dementia with you. We will be sharing helpful tips for you to better deal with difficult behaviors. Both caregiver support groups are free of charge and are not specific to only dementia.

Kimberly Jensen has been working with Quail Park as a Senior Resource Advocate for over ten years and has helped hundreds of families find solutions to their senior problems. If you have a question, you can send it to her at KimberlyJ@QPCypress.com or call (559) 737-7443.