Family caregivers of people with dementia are often called the invisible second clients for good reason.
As many Sechelt families have found, their roles as informal caregivers are critical to the quality of life of the person they care for, who generally requires increasing levels of care.
“Without caregivers, people with dementia would have an increasingly poorer quality of life and would need residential care more quickly,” said Kerri Sutherland, a support and education coordinator for the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C.
The support, though, can come at a cost: caregiver exhaustion. That’s why the Society is bringing its free Family Caregiver Series to Sechelt on March 14, 21 and 28.
The workshop helps caregivers learn strategies to care for someone with dementia and to take care of their own health, to ensure they are prepared, and to continue to provide care to their family members.
“We provide practical techniques and strategies that caregivers can begin using immediately,” Sutherland said.
Topics to be covered include:
*Understanding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
*Effective and creative ways of facilitating communication with a person with dementia.
*Understanding behaviour as a form of communication.
*Self-care for the caregiver.
*Planning for the future.
The series runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on three Saturdays at St. Mary’s Hospital’s boardroom. Pre-registration is required. For information and to register, contact Sutherland at 604-984-8348 or email [email protected]
