Register for a Free Caregiver Workshop in Hilo on July 8

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About 154,000 people in Hawaii are helping older family members and friends so they can live at home and in the community.

These unpaid caregivers provide help that ranges in complexity from simple meal preparation or transportation, to more complex care such as medication management, wound care, or caring for a family member with dementia.

It isn’t easy and no one can do it alone.

That’s why AARP Hawaii and the Hawaii County Office of Aging are putting on a free workshop at the Church of the Holy Cross in Hilo on July 8 from 8 AM to Noon to help caregivers.

Family caregivers and those planning for their own future can learn to better care for loved ones, get connected to resources and information, and meet other caregivers.

The workshop starts at 8 a.m. and covers a variety of topics including communication strategies for dementia, resources for caregivers, understanding palliative care, and what to do if a loved one is hospitalized and after he or she comes home.

A new law, the CARE (Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable) Act, helps caregivers when a loved one goes into the hospital. It takes effect on July 1.

The law provides three basic rights:

• Provides the patient with an opportunity to designate a family caregiver on their medical record.
• Requires the hospital to notify the caregiver before a patient is discharged or transferred to another facility.
• Requires hospitals to offer instructions on the medical tasks you will need to perform at home after a patient is discharged.

AARP Hawaii helped pass the CARE Act and is offering free wallet cards to remind you of your rights. To get a card go to http://action.aarp.org/careHI  or call 1-866-295-7282. Put the card next to your insurance cards, so you’ll have it available in an emergency.

To register for the workshops go online at https://aarp.cvent.com/care7-8 or call (toll free) 1-877-926-8300.