WENDELL — Village Neighbors and the Neighborhood Aging and Dementia Support Group have formed a quarterly book discussion group centered on caring for loved ones with dementia, memory loss and other issues related to aging.
The reading group will have its first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Herrick Room of the Wendell Free Library.
“The book group is a way for people to become informed and to be able to informally talk about dementia in a comfortable setting,” said Nancy Spittle, a former long-term care nurse and host of the reading group.
The first book to be discussed is “Understanding the Changing Brain” by Teepa Snow.
“Teepa Snow is very well-known in the world of dementia,” Spittle said. “When you read her book you get some good, solid information, but also very practical advice. It’s a down-home and earthy way of looking at dementia and it’s very positive.”
The councils on aging from Wendell, New Salem, Leverett and Shutesbury make up Village Neighbors, which was formed in 2018 to provide services to people ages 60 and up. The program is now more than 300 members strong. The Neighborhood Aging and Dementia Support group is an offshoot of Village Neighbors.
“We’ve been trying to bring people together for different social programs, which is difficult, because a lot of people don’t want to be identified as having memory loss,” Spittle said. “It’s something people are embarrassed about and don’t want to admit to themselves.”
The topic of dementia can be challenging to discuss but, “We’re trying to help people realize dementia is not an end-of-life sentence; there’s a lot of life to live, even with memory loss,” Spittle continued.
“The idea is to have an open discussion with people from various points of view,” she added.
For those interested in joining the first book discussion, there are copies of “Understanding the Changing Brain” available at the Wendell and Shutesbury libraries, and copies for purchase may be found online or in local bookstores. The next book selection will be announced sometime in November, and discussions will rotate among the four towns.
For more information about Village Neighbors, visit villageneighbors.org. For more information about the Neighborhood Aging and Dementia Support Group’s new book discussion group, call Nancy Spittle at 978-544-6760.