Alzheimer’s is a disease that effects millions of people across the United States, but a nonprofit agency in Selma is hoping to help caregivers learn more about the disease.

Women and Youth Services Inc. of Selma is holding a nine-part program called “The Memory Keepers” starting next week. The organization was founded in 2013 with the mission to “uplift the quality of life” for people in Dallas and Perry counties.

Chairman of the board, Dr. Verdell Dawson, said this is their way of showing those dealing with Alzheimer’s they care.

“There are so many people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s, and the families are struggling because they don’t know what it is,” Dawson said. “They don’t know how to deal with it, so we have some answers, and all the answers that we don’t have we’re getting from healthcare professionals.”

Alzheimer’s is a disease that causes memory, thinking and behavior problems. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are living with the disease, and it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Every 66 seconds someone develops the disease, according to the association.

Dawson said members of the nonprofit organization, which is an affiliate of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Zeta Eta Omega Chapter, work in healthcare and have family members to help answer questions.

“Whatever question it is that they have, if we don’t have the answer or one of our partners don’t have the answer, we feel like we have the resources to find the answers for them,” Dawson said.

“We tried to put together a partnership that would reflect every aspect of the caregiver’s life.”

Dawson said the idea of the program came about when the nonprofit recognized the need for information about the disease.

“As we talked among ourselves, we are aware of our own families as well as other families in the community who have been struggling with Alzheimer’s,” she said.

The program starts Thursday, Jan. 26 with orientation where the nonprofit will get a feel for what people in the community need to know when it comes to the disease.

“If they have needs that we have not identified, this will be the time for them to tell us so we can include that in our program,” she said. “We want to make adjustments. We want this to be friendly. We want it to meet the needs of the people who are caregivers.”

But the program is not just about what Alzheimer’s patients need. Dawson said she hopes it will also provide time for caregivers to relax.

“We know that many times when you are a caregiver and you are dealing with a person who has illnesses that continue to go on and on, people feel alone. They feel isolated,” she said. “They feel as if no one cares, and this is our way of saying we care about you. We care about your own physical health as well as your Alzheimer’s patients.”

The program is free of charge and open to anyone interested in attending. For more information, call Edna Montgomery at (334) 467-3837.