The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in October. This month’s meeting topic: “Proper Body Mechanics and Back Safety and the Art of Caregiving, Part One.”
Oct. 3, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m.
Oct. 10, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m.
Oct. 18, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m.
Oct. 31, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.
Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member of friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend.
For more information, call Sharon or Judy at (907) 262-1280.
The Homer Family Caregiver meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month (Oct. 12 and 26) at Homer Senior Center, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Hosted by Pam Hooker. Call for more information, 235-4555.
Southeast
The Senior and Caregiver Resource Center at Southeast Senior Services in Juneau offers a call-in support group for residents of Southeast Alaska. The meeting time is the second Thursday of each month (Oct. 12) at noon. Call for more information, toll free 866-746-6177.
The Ketchikan Family Caregiver Support Group meets the second Friday of each month (Oct. 13), upstairs at the Ketchikan Senior Center at noon.
The Sitka Family Caregiver Support Group meets the third Wednesday of each month (Oct. 18). For more information, call Brave Heart Volunteers, 747-4600.
Other locations
For information on caregiver support group meetings around the state:
Anchorage, 561-3313
Fairbanks, 452-2277
Homer, 235-4555
Juneau, 463-6164 or 463-6198
Ketchikan, 225-8080
Kodiak, 486-6181
Nome, 443-4507
Palmer/Wasilla, 746-3413
Sitka, 747-4600
Family caregiver tip of the month
October brings memories of wood smoke, falling leaves, caramel apples, frosty days, Halloween and the promise of snow to come. October also means that you should be prepared for winter. How do you prepare for winter when you are a full time caregiver? Well, in addition to taking care of the nuts and bolts of caregiving you have to remember to first take care of yourself. Start by thinking about the day as a “One Day at a Time” day. Next concentrate on creating a single-task life. In our fast paced society we have learned how to juggle, doing multi-tasking and thinking this is how it is. Charles Dickens once wrote: “He did each single thing as if he did nothing else.” When you concentrate on purposefully living a single task life you will be surprised at what you can accomplish. You will then realize the real meaning behind the Charles Dickens quote. Hopefully you will realize new meaning in your task-filled day by doing “one task at a time”.
- Judy Warren, Kenai Peninsula National Family Caregiver Support Program
