Wichita Caregivers Receive Support at Retreat

Many of us have been to a retreat of some sort, either through our jobs, churches, or through community groups. But have you ever participated in a caregiver's retreat?

AARP Kansas supported a Caregivers Retreat and 21-day coaching program developed and led by Wakeelah Mutazammil-Martinez in Wichita. Wakeelah, CEO and co-founder of Wakeelah-Wornum, International LLC, created the retreat as one way to support the more than 345,000 caregivers in Kansas. Specifically, the retreat was designed to assist caregivers with developing stronger daily practices to increase their physical, mental, and emotional health. The retreat extended over a 3-day weekend and included use of self-assessment and coaching tools along with coaching from three experts on new ways for the 20 participants to feed and nurture their bodies to better withstand the stressors that can accompany caregiving. The retreat will be followed by a 21-day intensive group coaching to continue the learning and observe changes experienced by the participants.

The Caregivers Retreat is an innovative way to support caregivers, who perform a wide range of activities to help people live comfortably outside of hospitals and nursing homes. The retreat also helps to demonstrate why passage of the CARE Act is so important as it helps to reduce caregiver stress, ensuring caregivers receive care instructions when a loved one is discharged from a hospital.

Are you a caregiver in need of support? We would love to hear from you! Share your story at iheartcaregivers.org!

 By Maren Turner, AARP Kansas Director