JFSA — Free Dementia Caregiver Support Group Cleveland
The Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland (JFSA) runs a free online Caregiver Support Group for anyone in the Cleveland area caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Open to caregivers of any background — Jewish, non-Jewish, family member, partner, friend, or paid caregiver — the group has run for years as part of JFSA’s broader Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Caregiver Support Program and is intentionally low-barrier. There is no membership requirement and no expectation of a particular faith background.
What to Expect
The group meets online via video on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sessions are facilitated by a JFSA staff member but follow a peer support format: members check in, share what is happening with their care recipient and themselves, and learn from one another’s experience. Common topics include managing behavioral changes, navigating medical appointments, coordinating help with siblings, planning for the next stage of care, and the grief and burnout that come with long caregiving roles. Practical local resources are surfaced when relevant, but the heart of the group is shared experience. Sessions run about an hour and members often stay a few minutes longer to keep talking.
Who This Group Is For
Anyone in the Cleveland area caring for a person with Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, or another form of cognitive decline. New caregivers and long-time caregivers both attend. There is no requirement around how much care you provide, whether you live with the person, or what stage of the disease your loved one is in. Caregivers who have lost their person to dementia are also welcomed for as long as the group is helpful — many members stay in the group during early bereavement.
Why Peer Support Works
Dementia caregiving is famously isolating. Friends and extended family often do not understand what day-to-day caregiving actually involves, and caregivers are at substantially higher risk of depression, anxiety, and physical health problems themselves. A regular peer group of other caregivers offers what nothing else does — a steady room of people who already understand, who can compare notes, and who can name the hard truths without anyone needing to soften them.
How to Join
Registration is required and is free. Complete the interest form on the JFSA Caregiver Support Group page at jfsa-cleveland.org, and a JFSA staff member will reach out to complete your registration and send the video link. For questions, contact Cassie Fazekas at (216) 504-6485 or cfazekas@jfsa-cleveland.org. The intake conversation is informal and usually takes about ten minutes.