Thousands of Pierce County residents take care of a friend or family member with a serious health condition. While being a caregiver is a labor of love, it can also be very stressful. On top of that stress, the isolation created by COVID-19 has resulted in incredible challenges for caregivers and their own well-being and mental health.
To provide supportive resources, Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources, in collaboration with the Health Care Providers Council, will present the 2022 Pierce County Caregiver Conference as a half-day virtual event on Saturday, Aug. 13. This free conference is open to both paid and unpaid family caregivers. Advance registration is required, and participants can sign up using the link below:
The conference will run from 9 a.m. to noon and features the following 30-minute workshops:
- Planning Ahead for Long Term Care
- Attaining and Maintaining Boundaries
- Connected CARE – Local Resources for Caregiver Support
- Caregiver Stress, Frustration and Guilt
Handouts, workshop materials, caregiving tools and community resources will be available online before and after the conference. Paid, in-home caregivers may qualify for up to four hours of continuing education (CE) credits from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
“Nearly 900,000 unpaid family caregivers in our state provide 80% of the services their loved ones need to remain in home for as long as possible,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources manager. “These caregivers need support to continue their ongoing caregiver activities and to ensure their own mental and physical health stays intact while coping with related challenges.”
More information can be found online at www.PierceCountyWA.gov/Caregiver. For more information about the presentations or to register by phone, call the Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) at 253-798-4600 or 800-562-0332.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kari Moore, public information specialist
Pierce County Communications
253-363-0325
[email protected]