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Caregiver Classes
April 10, 2008 |
Caring for a loved one can seem like a full time job. A Florida resident who
cares for her 84 year-old brother says, “I’m a retired RN but the love
involvement the emotional involvement in caring for your family and the fact
that you’re on 24-7 duty not 12 hour or eight hour makes a big difference.”
Monica Dunkley is a Registered Nurse who helps educate caregivers in Southwest
Florida. She says, “We have to do things to help relieve the stress that the
caregiver goes through.” So Monica and several other educators put on a class
that’s called the Care Program. They are offered every month to all types of
caregivers and the most recent one was held at Gulf Coast Village. Danielle
Musteffe is the Care Program Coordinator. She says, “The program helps the
caregiver because they’re coming together and they’re able to talk to other
caregivers through similar experiences. They learn a lot from each other and you
know they don’t feel so isolated.” The classes offer presentations on everything
from mobility and falls to coping strategies and medication management. Speakers
also inform caregivers on available resources they may have never known about.
One caregiver describes it as, “It’s just a weight off you. You realize you’re
not alone you realize there is help out there and most of the help is
complimentary. It’s free you don’t have to worry about it. So it’s not more
stress that you have to pay more money for something. It’s good you feel you’re
not alone.” The Care Program offers classes for all kinds of caregivers in seven
counties throughout Southwest Florida. More than 50-million Americans provide
care for chronically ill, disabled or aged family members or friends every year. |
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