Program Set for Dementia Caregiver Screening in Cheyenne July 1

A free public screening of the Wyoming PBS special “A State of Mind: The Caregivers,” scheduled Monday, July 1, in Cheyenne, will feature those who care for loved ones living with dementia.

“A State of Mind: The Caregivers,” part of the Wyoming PBS documentary series exploring the mental health crisis in the state, features several members of the Wyoming Dementia Together (WDT) family. WDT is a statewide, nonprofit caregiver network operating through the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Center on Aging (WyCOA).

The program will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Surbrugg/Prentice Auditorium at Laramie County Community College, located at 1400 E. College Drive.

The journey of Kent Shurtleff, of Riverton, a participant in the WDT program and a longtime caregiver for his wife, Minnie, is featured prominently in the documentary. The expertise of two members of the WDT team also is featured: Carol Taylor, from Jackson, and UW’s Sabine Schenck, WDT facilitator.

“It’s the toughest job I’ve ever had in my life. We’re rural people. We don’t look for help; we don’t ask for it. We just try to fix it ourselves,” Shurtleff says in the documentary. “The light at the end of the tunnel is the love we have for each other.”

The program will begin with free appetizers from 5-5:30 p.m. outside the auditorium. The PBS documentary will be screened from 5:30-6 p.m., and a panel discussion will follow from 6-6:30 p.m.

In addition to Schenk and Shurtleff, panelists will be Amy Shaw, of Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, and the documentary’s director, Mat Hames, who will be featured through a Zoom call. Joanna Kail, Wyoming PBS CEO and executive director for “A State of Mind,” will moderate the panel.

The “State of Mind” episode can be found here.

For information about free services offered by WDT, call WyCOA at (307) 766-2829 or email wycoa@uwyo.edu.