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Wellness Telemanagement Partners in Health |
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Free
Seminars for Caregivers of Older Adults Are you a caregiver of an older adult? Or maybe you are someone who supports an older adult as a friend or good listener? If so, then you probably have some questions about issues that come up for older adults. Maybe you are curious about what other caregivers think about a particular issue. This article will tell you about an important local seminar resource and how you can access help. Free seminars are sponsored by the Fairfax Caregiver Seminar Consortium (FCSC) with funding from the National Family Caregiver Support Program. This is an exciting partnership between the Alzheimer’s Association, Thomas West Financial Services, the Fairfax County Departments of Community and Recreation Services, Family Services, Health, and the Public Library. These seminars are led by experienced and qualified professionals from different backgrounds, such as nursing, pharmacy, social work, law, recreation, housing, financial planning, and beyond. They have good information for you and they are available to answer your questions. The Fall 2005 Series offers 10 seminars on different topics at convenient locations throughout the Fairfax County area. Some sessions are offered during the day and some are in the evening. Registration for these free seminars is not required, but strongly encouraged so that adequate handouts are available. You can go to just one seminar or all of them if you wish. Take a look at this list of what is being offered this Fall! FALL OFFERINGS
Do you see at least one subject that caught your eye? Perhaps that is the one you will consider attending. It is easy. You call the phone number below to register and simply show up. When you arrive, there will be a sign-up sheet, handout information, and perhaps some light refreshment. The room is set up so that the seminar leader can see and hear all. Everyone is welcome. BENEFITS OF ATTENDING This author attended the first seminar on September 21, 2005, to learn “What to Expect as a Caregiver: Fostering Harmony in Decision –making”. The two presenters included a nursing administrator and an attorney with mediation experience. We briefly introduced ourselves and some people chose to tell a bit about their personal situation and why the topic interested them. Some people talked and asked questions and we all listened and learned from each other. We smiled or shook our heads as we thought about how challenging it can be to make important decisions within the family. The presenters had a very clear and useful presentation with specific suggestions. We did an exercise which illustrated some of the challenges of effective communication. We learned a lot about the value of good listening and how to communicate that we really are listening. One person in attendance said that she is interested in finding a support group for caregivers. Another person asked for more information about his personal caregiver challenge. Sometimes just hearing another person talk about the issues they face in caregiving is a tremendous source of strength and can be very useful. The Seminar presenters and the representatives from the FCSC had excellent information and referral ideas to help us take some next steps on this journey of caregiving. They were most helpful. HOW TO REGISTER You are encouraged to check out a free seminar offered through the FCSC. To register, call 703-324-5205; TTY 703-449-1186 and leave your name, phone number and name of the sessions(s) you plan to attend. For more information visit the web site for the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/service/aaa. To request reasonable ADA accommodations, call 703-324-5205; TTY 703-449-1186. To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-5870; TTY 703-222-9452. If you missed this particular Fall 2005 Series, you are encouraged to contact the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging to learn about future programs. |
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