Free Dementia Caregiver Support — Tucson | Alzheimer's Association Desert Southwest
The Alzheimer’s Association — Desert Southwest Chapter operates free support groups for dementia caregivers throughout Tucson, Southern Arizona, and the surrounding region. Groups are led by trained facilitators (typically licensed social workers, registered nurses, or experienced caregiver volunteers) and include both general and specialized tracks.
What to Expect
Confidential one-hour support groups where caregivers share their experiences, coping strategies, and questions with other family members caring for someone living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Meetings blend peer sharing with brief educational moments about disease progression, behavior management, self-care for caregivers, and how to access community resources. Newcomers are welcomed and never required to share.
Tucson-Area Options
Multiple monthly in-person support groups across the Tucson metro area. Virtual support groups via phone and video for caregivers who cannot attend in person — these run regionally and connect Tucson members with caregivers in similar situations across Arizona and beyond. Specialized groups include: African American caregivers, male caregivers, younger-onset dementia (caregivers of someone under 65), and adult children caregivers. Call the 24/7 Helpline (800-272-3900) for the current Tucson-area schedule and group recommendations.
Who This Group Is For
Family caregivers — spouses, adult children, siblings, partners, grandchildren — of someone living with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, or other forms of dementia. Whether you provide full-time, part-time, or long-distance care, the Alzheimer’s Association groups are designed for you.
Why Support Groups Help
Dementia caregiving is isolating, physically demanding, and emotionally exhausting. Family and friends outside caregiving often cannot grasp the specific shape of dementia-related grief — the long goodbye, the role reversal, the unpredictable behavioral changes. Caregivers in support groups recognize each other instantly and pick up practical strategies from peers ahead of them in the journey.
How to Join
Call the 24/7 Alzheimer’s Association Helpline at 800-272-3900 for the current Tucson schedule and to register. Helpline staff can also connect you to care consultation, care planning, and Arizona’s Department of Economic Security Family Caregiver Support Program.