BACONTON, Ga. (WALB) — Southwest Georgia families caring for loved ones with dementia will soon have a new option for support with a free weekend respite program launching this month in Baconton.

The Memory Foundation will host a community launch Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Baconton Community Center, where families can learn about the program and connect with dementia resources.

The toll of caregiving in Georgia

About 391,000 Georgians provide unpaid care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, totaling roughly 789 million hours of unpaid care a year, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

About a third of Georgia’s dementia caregivers report depression, and 15% report poor physical health.

Dougherty County also has the highest Alzheimer’s rate of any county in Georgia and the seventh highest in the nation, with 15.3% of residents living with the disease.

Organizer Jarrell Benton said that reality, paired with her own family’s caregiving journey, is why she brought the program to southwest Georgia.

“That’s where I learned to help care for my grandmother and see my mom do it,” Benton said. “But we have to realize we have other family members that can help them and take care of them as well. We just need help, and it’s hard to ask for that.”

The program, funded through a grant from the Alzheimer’s Association’s Center for Dementia Respite Innovation and in partnership with the Sowega Council on Aging, will offer Saturday drop-off sessions in which participants with dementia join supervised arts and crafts, music, games, and bingo while caregivers can attend workshops, or simply step away to rest.

“It’s a free service. Take the break,” Benton said.

A caregiver’s first-hand experience

Avicia Moss, who’s also a caregiver, describes it as a constant, hands-on responsibility: monitoring meals and bathroom breaks, helping with mobility and personal care, and finding ways to keep their loved one engaged.

“This is the place they can come and enjoy, making sure that their parents are in a great space,” Moss said. “There’s people taking care of them. There’s educated to learn more about it. And I just think it’s a good thing.”

Those interested in volunteering can sign up at Saturday’s launch or through The Memory Foundation’s website.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.