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A Glance into the Family Caregiver Workshops!
“I didn’t think this was rocket science, but it sure is
difficult,” remarked a family member, who attended
a recent Family Caregiver Workshop. What he was
referring to was his realization that in order to improve his
quality of life and the quality of life of his family member,
he needs to change the way he thinks, solve problems and
communicates, because the person with dementia (PWD)
is incapable of changing.
We live in a fast-paced environment
— we talk fast,
we rush out of the house in the morning to meetings,
to doctor appointments, we are always juggling multiple
things — but this is not the world of the PWD. Caregivers
attending the 10-hour Family Caregiver Workshops,
which are offered during the daytime, evenings and
Saturdays, learn to understand things from the PWD’s
perspective — how to build their self-esteem, retain their
current skills, and provide care utilizing a person-centered
approach.
Topics explored in this interactive training include:
Understanding Dementia; Strategies for Effective Verbal
and Non-Verbal Communication with the PWD,
Physicians, Family Members, Home Health Aides and
Other Health Care Personnel; All Behavior Has Meaning;
Caring for the Caregiver; How to Advocate for Your
Family Member; Safety in the Home; and Developing
Creative and Meaningful Activities (we actually find our
creative selves in class). In addition, participants receive
written materials for each course module, which they can
utilize later as a reference guide or share with other family
members, home health aides and friends.
Key lessons from the training shared by family
members include: “The sessions have helped me look through
a different lens that will change as the PWD changes,” “I now know the importance of learning to be
wrong, rather than blaming the PWD,”
“I understand the need to be flexible
and to adopt the ‘So What Attitude’,
it really doesn’t matter if my family
member is not bathing everyday,” “I
now know my job is a detective, I need
to better understand and uncover my
mother’s behavior and help ease her
life,” “I now understand how frustrating
it is for my family member to lose her
independence,” “I now try to think as
the PWD does,” “I now know that the
PWD lives in a much slower world, it
is critical to simplify things,” “I know
that I am not alone and what my PWD
is experiencing is not unusual,” “Each
PWD is unique,” “…I understand the
importance of staying calm, not proving my point, reasoning, or
arguing,” “I have learned to accept what is… and how critical
it is to take care of myself and ask for help from others,” “I
have learned new ways to relate to my Mother, which makes
me feel empowered,” and “This seminar is informative, helpful,
and enlightening… and even enjoyable for a heart-breaking
situation.”
Is it difficult to incorporate lessons learned during
the course of the training in everyday life? Absolutely!
Are caregivers reporting that they are gradually adapting
their behaviors and putting lessons learned into practice?
Definitely, and most importantly family members are
noticing improved relationships with the PWD.
For more information about the Family Caregiver
Workshops, please call the 24-hour Helpline at 1-800-
272-3900.
The Family Caregiver Workshops are made possible by the generous support of Forest Laboratories, Inc., with additional funding from
Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc., and the New York State Department of Health.
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