Free Oxford caregiver event offers dementia support and resources

Families in Lafayette County who are juggling memory loss, medications, appointments and work will have a free place to turn when Oxford’s Caregiver Connect comes to Baptist Memorial Hospital–North Mississippi. The Alzheimer’s Association and Baptist Memorial Hospital are bringing the event to the Magnolia Room at 1100 Belk Blvd. on Wednesday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The program is built for caregivers, but it also welcomes people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Organizers say the day is meant to provide education, support and connection, giving families practical help as they navigate diagnosis, care planning and the daily routines that can change quickly when memory problems begin.

The need is large across Mississippi. The Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association says more than 62,500 people in the state are living with Alzheimer’s, and about 93,000 caregivers provide 175 million hours of unpaid care. The association says Mississippi’s average number of caregiver hours is among the highest in the country, a measure of how much of the burden falls on spouses, adult children and other relatives.

That pressure is not abstract in Lafayette County. Recent county-level estimates put Alzheimer’s prevalence among residents age 65 and older at about 11.1 percent, compared with 12.5 percent statewide. The Mississippi State Department of Health has also described older adult health as a growing issue and said age-friendly services are increasingly needed, underscoring why a local support event at a hospital matters.

For Oxford families, the hospital setting adds another layer of access. Baptist Memorial Hospital–North Mississippi is a familiar healthcare presence in town, and the partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association ties clinical care to a national organization focused on education and support. For caregivers who may already be stretched thin by repeated doctor visits and the demands of home care, a free event can open the door to services they may not know exist.

In a county where dementia care often happens quietly behind closed doors, the May 6 gathering offers something more concrete: a place to ask questions, find resources and leave with a clearer path forward.