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WELLNESS
Registration is required. Call
434-517-3094
or register online at
www.hrhs.org
.
4
q
life and health
ARE
you caring for a loved one
who is chronically ill, disabled or ag-
ing? If so, according to the National
Family Caregivers Association, you
are one of more than 65 million
caregivers in the U.S.
So why do you feel so alone?
It is not easy caring for a loved
one. Many people find the role
thrust upon them quickly with no
time to prepare. And there is so
much to learn.
If you are a caregiver—or a
potential caregiver—mark your cal-
endar for Sunday, June 24 from 1 to
4:30 p.m. for a Caregiver Workshop
designed to give you the knowledge
you need to make your job easier.
Sponsored by Halifax Regional
Home Health and Hospice, the
workshop begins with lunch, an op-
portunity to relax and meet others
who are in your shoes, followed by
a program covering topics such as
activities of daily living (bathing,
dressing, eating, toileting), safety
and caring for the caregiver.
“There is so much involved in
caring for someone who is aging or
who has a chronic illness,” says Carol
Conner, manager of Halifax Re-
gional Hospice. “Many people find
themselves totally unprepared to
deal with everyday issues that, with a
little knowledge, are not so daunting
after all.”
Skill building
According to Conner, learn-
ing the tricks of the trade can help
build the caregiver’s confidence and
make the role easier on everyone.
There are, for example, certain
techniques involved in changing
an adult’s disposable brief that, once
mastered, make the job manage-
able. Frequently, just learning
some basic skills can help caregiv-
ers feel less overwhelmed and
more ready to assume their new
responsibilities.
The workshop will help care-
givers learn such things as
bathing techniques, skin care,
tooth and denture care, feeding,
nail care, transferring a person
from bed to chair and back, and
dressing techniques, as well
as suggestions for the
meaningful use of leisure
time.
The workshop will
also provide hints for
staying calm un-
der fire, managing
difficult behaviors
and the importance
of caring for the
caregiver.
“Taking care of
yourself is perhaps one
of the most important aspects
of caregiving,” Conner says,
“and one that is often left by the
wayside. But how can you care for
another if you don’t take care of
yourself?”
In this part of the workshop,
participants will discuss the ef-
fects of caregiving on both their
physical and mental health, will
learn to recognize signs of burnout
and stress, and, most importantly,
will learn what to do about it.
The Caregiver Workshop will
be held in Leggett Auditorium
at Halifax Regional Hospital on
Sunday, June 24, beginning with
lunch at 1 p.m. The workshop is
free, and because space is lim-
ited, registration is required. Call
434-517-3094
or register online at
www.hrhs.org
.
Save the date:
Caregiver Workshop
June 24, 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Caregivers need love too