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Successful Aging - Archived Article
Caregiver Retreat
If you are a caregiver, or know someone who is, there is a special event this month you should know about.
The Broome County Office for Aging and the Southern Tier Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association are presenting a Caregiver Retreat on April 26 at the Brothers 2 Restaurant in Endwell. The event will start at 11:00 a.m. and end at 3:30.
The Retreat is supported by a grant from the Good Shepherd Fairview Foundation with additional support from the Ayres Group at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.
The Retreat is a "mini-vacation" for unpaid caregivers of the elderly, and there is no charge to participate. A delicious lunch and relaxing and enjoyable activities will be provided. Although the primary emphasis will be on humor and relaxation-- rather than a formal education program-- there will be table displays from local agencies that provide elder care services.
A special feature of this Retreat is that Bill Parker, well-known media personality, will be the emcee for the day.
How do we define "caregiver?" A caregiver is a person who provides some help to an older person with mental or physical impairment. You don't have to be living with the person to be considered a caregiver. You don't even have to be providing daily care. Being a caregiver means taking some responsibility for the health, safety and well-being of an older individual. That person may be your relative, or it could be a close friend or neighbor.
Office for Aging and the Alzheimer's Association want to show appreciation for the tremendous job that caregivers do for so many seniors in our community. It's your chance to take a break and "recharge your batteries."
Do you need to bring the person you care for? That's been taken care of, too. An interesting and stimulating respite program will be provided in a separate room by experienced professionals, who will be assisted by several volunteers.
Although the program is free for unpaid caregivers of the elderly, you must pre-register. Please call Office for Aging at 607.778.2411 or the Alzheimer's Association at 607.785.7852 to request a brochure and registration form. Registration is due by Thursday, April 19.