URBANA, Ill. – Over 34 million people in the U.S. are caring for someone over the age of 50. This six-part Discover Caregiving Relationships webinar series is designed to help caregivers address the many issues and challenges they face in their current role. Participants will discover the variety of relationships impacted by caregiving situations and learn techniques to help keep them healthy.
"Many times caregivers put their own needs last," says Cheri Burcham, University of Illinois Extension family life educator. "This series examines the physical and emotional toll of caregiving and strategies for minimizing personal risks."
The series begins at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8 and runs for six consecutive Thursdays. Online registration is required for this webinar series, and participants may choose one or more of the sessions based on interest. If one needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact Burcham. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for the requested accommodation.
The Discover Caregiving Relationships webinar schedule includes:
- Oct. 8 | Caregivers Need Care, Too: This session examines how to recognize and prevent caregiver stress and burnout with strategies for self-care.
- Oct. 15 | Losses and Mixed Emotions of Caregiving: Caregivers experience losses and difficult emotions such as frustration, guilt, and fear. Learn how common these emotions are for caregivers and how to accept and manage them.
- Oct. 22 | Changing Relationships in Caregiving: Identify and understand the relationship changes that can develop among family members, successful long-distance caregiving, and the need for family support.
- Oct. 29 | Couple Relationships in Caregiving: Caregiving situations can bring unexpected challenges to couple relationships. Learn more about those unique circumstances and techniques for maintaining your special bond and relationship dynamic.
- Nov. 5 | Speak Clearly, Listen Carefully: Effective communication is important in our world but critical in a caregiving situation. Learning communication techniques that help you express feelings in a productive way is advantageous for the caregiver, care receiver, family members, friends, health care, and eldercare services team.
- Nov. 12 | Eldercare Services and Professionals: How to Maneuver Through the Maze: Locating professional assistance with caregiving can be challenging. In this session, caregivers can gain useful information on available eldercare service resources and how to navigate the process.
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.