Posted on Oct. 22: Care for the caregiver
When long-term illness or loss of mobility due to age affects a family member, doctor appointments, treatment sessions and ongoing care become a part of daily life. As Canada's population continues to age, more Canadians are taking full or partial responsibility for the long-term care of parents and other relatives, and that makes it an issue more employees are facing at home.
Debra Earl, employee health education nurse, has organized a four-part series with Hamilton Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) Caregiver Education Program co-ordinator Anne Vallentin, and “renegade volunteer” and former McMaster nurse educator Mary Buzzell, to help employees deal with the significant strain being a caregiver can place on life at home and work.
“We're hoping these sessions will bring people together so they can share their experiences with each other and also learn about the health care services and resources that are available to make a caregiver's job easier,” says Earl.
The four-part series offered on Thursdays over the lunch hour is a customized version of an interactive eight-hour program offered by VON exclusively in Hamilton. The McMaster adaptation is a pared-down version of the program, tailored to focus on the needs expressed by about 40 McMaster employees who pre-registered for the sessions last month.
“Balancing is often the most difficult part of being a caregiver, because our lives are already full before we take on that additional role,” says Vallentin. “Many people start to feel like they're all alone, but becoming more aware of the layers of help that's available can ease some of that stress.”
She also adds both versions of the program are complete with homework each week: do something for yourself, by yourself.
Earl says the idea for the sessions came out of the overwhelming response to a workshop at the “Inspiring from Within” conference held for McMaster employees in February 2003. Participants in a workshop Vallentin helped host expressed the need and desire for more support as they struggled with their dual roles as McMaster employees and caregivers.
“There are times during a caregiving role when we can feel overwhelmed by a situation,” says Vallentin. “Raising awareness among coworkers can help sustain caregivers when they're dealing with something that is particularly difficult.”
The sessions, which began last Thursday, are running until Nov. 6 in McMaster University Student Centre, Rm. 308 beginning at 12 p.m. A fifth session scheduled for the following Thursday on Nov. 13 will allow participants to decide if they're interested in establishing an ongoing support group.
For more information contact Debra Earl at ext. 26050, or VON Hamilton at 905-529-0700.
A list of services and workshops currently available through Employee Health Services can be found at http://www.mcmaster.ca/health/employees/ehealthhome.htm.
