How to recognize caregiver stress and support systems available to ensure the best care for a caregiver will be the topic of a free presentation, The Caregiver’s Guide, at the Simi Valley Senior Center on Sept. 18. “The focus of this workshop is to help family caregivers caring for a loved one to recognize caregiver stress … learn how to receive the support the caregiver needs from their family and discover where to find clear, concise information that will help make smart decisions,” said Andrea Gallagher, president of Senior Concerns and event presenter. She hopes to address a few myths. “First is helping family caregivers to identify that they are in fact caregivers,” said Gallagher, adding that many caregivers say, “I’m a son,” or “I’m a wife just doing what I need to do for my loved one.” “However, if you’re helping take mom to the doctor or picking up groceries for dad, you are in fact a caregiver,” Gallagher said. Also, many family caregivers think they can handle everything and don’t need help, she said. “They then end up trying to juggle work, family and the needs of their loved one and become overwhelmed and stressed.” Laurie Dickinson, senior services manager at the Simi Valley Senior Center, agreed that caregivers often think they can do it alone — that it is their job as a spouse or child to take on the responsibility of caring for a loved one without assistance. “The fact is that no one person can take on the job of taking care of someone who is critically ill, either mentally or physically or both, without compromising their own health,” Dickinson said. It is in the care recipient’s best interest that the caregiver find resources to take time for himself or herself, Dickinson said. “The goal of the program on Sept. 18 is not only to reiterate that fact but to give the participants the resources they need to be able to care for their loved one without sacrificing their own well-being,” Dickinson said. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to help caregivers recognize signs of stress and take steps to reduce it and take care of their own needs, Gallagher said. “Many caregivers feel unprepared, unsupported, overburdened and stressed,” she said. “This high level of stress severely impacts the health of the caregiver and the care receiver.” If you go WHAT: The Caregiver’s Guide WHEN: 1:30-3 p.m. Sept. 18 WHERE: Simi Valley Senior Center, 3900 Avenida Simi COST: Free REGISTRATION: 583-6363 More …
