A New Chapter: The Caregiving & Dementia Book Club

One of the most exciting parts of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s growing Brain Health Program is its new Caregiving and Dementia Book Club. The team wanted to offer a space that feels more natural and comfortable for community members, expanding the ways people can connect beyond traditional support groups.

Community Health Manager for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Alisha Parks Shell, and Barbara Worthington, a newly hired Dementia Care Specialist, provide education, resources, and support to community members living with dementia and their caregivers.

The new book club is a partnership with the Tribe’s library. It helps to provide club members:

• Guided conversations inspired by selected books, reducing pressure to “come prepared.”
• Organic storytelling and shared lessons that reflect the cultural values of community and care.

Alisha said the program’s first book club was held earlier this year. The first book selected was Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living with Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias. The group is nearly complete with their first book and hopes to begin reading Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen soon. 

Engagement continues to grow, and they have received very positive feedback. The book club is scheduled every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month in the Tribe’s cultural Museum Chachalu, and two sessions are offered to fit different schedules.

“We received very positive reviews of the first session, and excitement for the club,” Alisha said. “There was engagement from the participants as well as recommendations from others that we have spoken to in the community.”

“Doing this in the book club style, as I had hoped, provides an opportunity for conversations to occur without feeling like they are pinpointing their own frustrations, as they are simply discussing the book.”  

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has been a grantee of the Indian Health Service Alzheimer’s Program since 2023. The support received helped to launch this program. To learn more, call the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community Health Department at 503-879-2078.

Pictured: Raymond and Sally Petite are members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde’s Caregiving and Dementia Book Club through the Tribe’s growing Brain Health program.

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Applications Due July 7: 2026 Indian Health Geriatric Scholars Program    

You have an opportunity to apply and become part of a network of providers focused on improving care for older adults. The 2026 Indian Health Geriatric Scholars Program applications are due July 7. The program is open to IHS, tribal, and urban Indian program health care professionals, including:

• Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Pharmacists

This year-long program provides health care professionals with intensive training, mentorship, and hands-on learning opportunities to strengthen elder care in their communities. Each cohort is limited to 20 participants for a personalized learning experience. Each participant builds elder care skills, completes a mentored project, and connects with a peer network.