Frequently asked questions by dementia caregivers — such as, “How can I deal with the nighttime restlessness and agitation?”; “What about calming aggressive behavior?”; “Is there any way to prevent wandering?” — will be discussed during a Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) program Wednesday, Sept. 6.

WDT is a statewide, nonprofit caregiver network operating through the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA). WDT meets by Zoom call every other Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. throughout the year. Programs feature guest speakers and allow time for interaction from those who attend online.

The first fall program, free and open to the public, is titled “Behavioral Challenges: Responding to Distress in Dementia.” Kyle Page, a board-certified geropsychologist who focuses on improving dementia care skills for health care providers and families, will lead the program. He will discuss understanding negative behavior and speech and sensory distortions — what they are and how best to respond — as well as strategies to deal with hiding and rummaging behavior.

Caregivers from throughout Wyoming and surrounding states have benefited from the WDT programs.

Representatives of several out-of-state universities also attend the calls to gather ideas for their own dementia-related support services.

WDT includes dementia care professionals, licensed clinical social workers, physical and occupational therapists, and caregivers themselves. WDT began meeting in the fall of 2020 and has since been offering online programming assistance.

For information about registering for Zoom calls and the other free services offered by WDT, call WyCOA at (307) 766-2829 or email wycoa@uwyo.edu.

For more information, go to the WDT Caregiver Network website.