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Training to help caregivers maintain mental health

Press-Republican - 6/8/2022

Jun. 8—PLATTSBURGH — The Clinton County Office for the Aging is offering a Caregiver Training session on June 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Caregivers who help a loved one, friend, or neighbor can learn "How to Maintain Your Mental Health while Caregiving" from presenter Valarie Drown, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Support Initiative, at SUNY Plattsburgh.

VIA ZOOM

The program will be offered via Zoom, and participants may access the session via computer or telephone.

"I work for the Alzheimer's Disease Support Initiative, and one of our goals of our program is to focus on the health and wellness of caregivers," Drown said.

"Because what we know is if we can take care of them, then they're able to better care for their individuals with the goal of keeping them out of the nursing home as long as possible.

"By doing this type of training, what I want to focus on is how to care for our own mental health. Caregiving is so draining physically and mentally that if we can work on some skills to better our emotions that would improve our overall health as well. I will be focusing on some of the anxieties and the depressive pieces of caregiving and how to combat that."

SERVED 6,000 CAREGIVERS

Over the past five years, the initiative has served more than 6,000 caregivers in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Warren, Washington and Hamilton counties.

"We collaborate with the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York to try to reach as many people as we possibly can and to really reach those people in the outlying areas that are underserved and who are unaware of what resources are available to help them," Drown said.

"I would say that our numbers have been steadily increasing over the years. COVID has been really tough on people. COVID was really tough on caregivers because all of a sudden there was more isolation and support services weren't available during that time. So as we've been opening up and doing more in person, caregivers are really looking for help, any kind of support services they can receive whether it be support groups or finding activities to do or just plain having a Care Navigator to talk to get ideas of what could help."

For more information or to register, call Clinton County Office for the Aging at 518-565-4620 or email aging@clintoncountygov.com. There is no cost to participate.

Beyond this training, more opportunities, upcoming events and presentations are listed on the Alzheimer's Disease Support Initiative website: www.wehelpcaregivers.com

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell

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