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food and thoughts
By Bea Cowlin LSW, Caregiver Liaison
Last November Elder Services of Berkshire County presented “The Caregivers’ Journey” training to a group of caregivers from Southern Berkshire County. This five- part video and discussion series will be repeated beginning Monday, February 28 at Epoch Assisted Living at Melbourne, 140 Melbourne Road, Pittsfield. The series continues the next four Monday evenings in March.
Caregiver Liaison Bea Cowlin will facilitate the series with Margie Ware, Regional Caregiver Coordinator. The sessions include a light supper provided by Epoch served from 5:30 to 6 p.m. followed by the video and discussion from 6 to 8 p.m. There is no charge for the series, and all caregivers are welcome to attend.
The training examines the progression of emotions involved in the caregiving process. Through a series of videos, those attending will hear first hand from actual caregivers. Each video looks at a different aspect of the emotional work that goes into caring for someone with either an acute illness or a long-term progressive diagnosis. Topics include: The Journey Begins; The Toll; Surviving; Healing and Quiet Triumphs. The series is designed to allow caregivers to gently explore with others the challenges, rewards and demands of the caregiving experience, so that the caregiver can be aware of the need to take care of him or herself while proceeding through the journey.
Caregivers who have attended found that the training extremely helpful. Some thought that it was valuable to hear others verbalize similar experiences – either happy or difficult. The training offers a safe forum for caregivers to share experiences or to just listen to how others are dealing with their caregiving responsibilities.
This series will be presented again in May in Northern Berkshire County. For further information and registration, please contact Bea Cowlin at 413-499-0524 or 800-544-5242. She can also be reached by email at caregiver@esbci.org.