Caregivers – These Are For You

Providing care for a family member living with dementia can be many things – exhausting, joyful, frustrating, funny, never-ending and over too soon. Family caregivers too often feel alone and isolated, with questions to ask and advice to share.

To better serve family caregivers is the Rockbridge community, Valley Program for Aging Services is offering three events that are free, local or close by, and designed just for them. -A Confident Caregiver Dementia Care Conference will take place on Wednesday, May 17, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The conference will be held at the Plecker Center of Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave.

It will feature Melanie Bunn, geriatric nurse practitioner and speaker for Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care. Topics will include “Using a Positive Approach to Dementia Care,” “Coping with Challenging Situations in Dementia Care,” and “How Lifelong Personality Traits Impact Dementia Care.”

Lunch will be provided, and admission is free but seats are limited and registration is required. To register, go to vpas.info/ dementia-awareness or call VPAS’ Maury River Senior Services at (540) 261-7474. -On Thursday, May 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. VPAS will offer LEGO Serious Play for Caregivers at the RARA Community Room at 350 Spotswood Drive, Lexington. This workshop will be presented by caregiver expert Loretta Veney.

Participants will be led through LEGO building fun to help caregivers build lots of joy, hope or superpowers to conquer caregiving challenges. Veney will help them discover what steals their joy, and brings them joy, and how to maintain joy on tough days.

Seats at this event are limited and registration is required. To register, go to vpas.info/caregiver-support or call MRSS at (540) 2617474. This event is supported by a grant from Merck Foundation.

- Every month on the fourth Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. a Caregiver Support Group meets at Maury River Senior Services in Buena Vista. The gathering is facilitated by Heather Lawrence, VPAS caregiver support coordinator, and allows participants to meet other family caregivers on the same journey. Some of the topics discussed include stress management, physical activity and preventing injury, medication management, and planning for the future.

There is no charge to join the support group, but registration is encouraged. To register, go to vpas.info/caregiver- support or call MRSS at (540) 261-7474.

Editor’s note: Jeri Schaff is the director of the Valley Program for Aging Services.