The Walton Tribune
Sunday, March 28, 2004

National Caregiving Training Available in Monroe, Georgia

Monroe, GA - Abbey Hospice has a new national training program designed to help friends or family members caring for someone in the last years of life. Dedra Thompson of Social Circle and Darlene Alley of Monroe were chosen as trainers for this innovative program through a nationwide application process. The training will be offered to at least fifty caregivers over the next six months and will reach more than 8,750 caregivers nationally.

The national program is based on national needs assessment of more than 900 family caregivers. "The needs assessment validated our assumptions - that caregiving is tremendously challenging, yet many people find meaning in the caregiving experience," said Kim Acquaviva, one of the co-directors of the grant. According to another of the co-directors of the grant, Kathy Egan, "This program, funded by the Administration on Aging as part of the National Family Caregiver Support Program, was designed to help local agencies support caregivers so they can find opportunities for meaning or gain in the experience."

The free trainings will be offered at the Walton County Senior Center on Tuesdays, April 6, 13, and 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. The trainings, entitled The Caregiver Journey, are open to anyone currently taking care of a family member or anyone anticipating taking care of a loved one in the near future. The trainings will help people gain basic caregiving skills such as bathing and nutrition, present information from an elder law attorney on end of life issues, give advice on communicating effectively with healthcare professionals, talk about end of life care and making important decisions, discuss local resources, and much more.

"Caregivers need more education, support and services, and we'd like to work with the community to help meet that need," according to Joan Lipovsky, RN, Administrator of Abbey Hospice. "Abbey Hospice is committed to helping people who give the greatest gift of all: providing care and support for a friend or family member in the last years of life."

For more information on the upcoming trainings, or to RSVP, please call Darlene or Dedra at (770) 464-5858.

#           #           #