Kauai Workshop for Helping Older Loved Ones

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and AARP Hawaii and community partners are offering a free caregiver conference on Saturday, November 14 at the Marriot Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach (8 a.m. -  12:30 p.m.). The event will provide information and resources to support caregivers and the families that depend on them.

Every day on Kauai, a silent army of family caregivers performs a great labor of love by helping their parents and spouses remain at home. An estimated 154,000 family caregivers in the islands help older loved ones with everything from medications and medical care, meals, bathing and dressing, chores, and much more.

While many of Hawaii’s caregivers wouldn’t have it any other way, they could use some help. Most family caregivers work a full- or part-time job and the pressure of juggling their own lives, work and caregiving can create emotional, physical and financial strain.

The conference features AARP’s National Caregiving Expert, Amy Goyer, author of Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. She will share her personal caregiving journey in the plenary session, titled, “We Can Do Anything But We Can’t Do Everything,” and present a workshop entitled “Get Organized! Technology, Apps, and Must-Have Gadgets for Caregivers."

Additional workshops include:

• Improving Quality of Life for Caregivers and Loved Ones at Home - by Dr. Michael Cheang, University of Hawaii at Manoa
• Legal Issues for Caregivers - by Michael Ratcliffe, Attorney at Law
• Medicare and Medicaid for Caregivers - by Pamela Cunningham, Hawaii SHIP

 

The event also featurea a resource fair of local non-profit and government organizations beginning at 8 a.m.