Volunteers offer support to caregivers

Published 1:25 pm Monday, November 17, 2008

Attention, caregivers: Relief is on the way.

The Mower County Caregiver Support Program completed training last Thursday.

The “graduates” were Ruth Biederman, Mike Biederman, Ken Kroupa, America Kroupa, Diane Rogne, Cathy Sayles, Carol Cariveau, Ann Hanson, Sue Quam, Mary Jane Smith, Anita Mittelsted and Annie Avery.

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The last name on the list is that of the Mower County Senior Advocate, who conceived the idea months ago.

“I think the Mower County Caregiver Support Program training will help us achieve our goals. I’m very excited about it,” Avery said.

Glenn Mair, chairman of the Mower County Senior Services Advisory Council, said at the time plans were first made for the program, an assessment revealed the need for respite for caregivers was real.

That’s understandable given the fact Mower County has one of the largest populations of senior citizens and elderly in the state, according to census reports.

“One of the main goals of the program is to help those people who are working in homes to keep people in their own homes and out of nursing homes” Avery said.

People working in the caregiver industry are everywhere.

The growing corps of caregivers comes from many walks of life: Family members caring for loved ones, hospice volunteers, experienced caregivers and retirees, parish outreach workers, teachers, nurses and social workers.

All have been working to keep the infirm and vulnerable adults in their homes living as independently as possible.

The work is hard, tedious and challenging and the caregivers need a break, a respite, from their duties to refresh themselves and refocus.

That’s where the Caregiver Support Program’s volunteers will be utilized.

Now that the training is complete, senior advocate Avery will match the respite graduates with a home situation where a caregiver needs relief from sometimes overwhelming duties.

“The continually aging population and the lack of nursing home beds means this demand for caregivers will only grow,” she said. That, in turn, will intensify the search for qualified caregivers and respite caregivers such as the 12 adults who volunteered to be a part of the new program.

Ready to serve

The graduates sounded eager to begin their duties after completing the six-week long training program last week.

“My husband has had some health issues, so I know what it is to be a caregiver,” Cariveau said.

“I know how someone feels being home-bound caring for a loved one”

“I think that’s a good thing to have experienced it first-hand to some degree,” Cariveau said.

“Maybe, I have something to offer to someone who is a caregiver.”

Cariveau is a registered nurse, who retired last May.

She has been a public health nurse for 12 years. Before that she worked at the hospital in home care. “I have a lot of experience with caring for people in their homes and working with families,” she emphasized.

Like Cariveau, Hanson, another respite volunteer, is a member of the Mower County Senior Services Advisory Council.

“That’s how I got involved in the Caregiver Support Program, plus I also have the experience as a social worker at nursing homes,” Hanson explained. “I really love elderly people and I enjoy visiting with them and hearing their stories.”

The health care professional said the Caregiver Support Program training was valuable.

“There was a lot of review, but there were new things, too,” she said. “Especially on dealing with emergencies and with Alzheimer’s patients. That will help when making home visits and trying to give caregivers a little time off from taking care of their loved ones.”

Ruth Biederman conducted the final training session. There were two separate training programs offered: For care-providers and respite-providers.

“I went through both training programs,” Biederman said. She is the interim coordinator of the program directed by Avery. “Annie will be doing the intake with people to assess their needs and make the assignments,” Biederman said.

She shared Avery’s and the graduates’ enthusiasm to begin their important work.

One of the graduates, Hanson, said, “We’re looking forward to doing what we were trained to do.”

“There’s always that anxious time when you try something new, but I think all of us are eager to try this new experience,” Hanson said.

Not only will the respite caregivers be matched with home situations needing their attention, they will also be available to allow the primary caregiver time to attend Caregiver Support Program meetings held by senior advocate Avery.

There will also be retraining for all participants.

“Hopefully, all of this will help keep the caregivers from getting burnt out,”

Hanson said. For more information about the Caregiver Support Program and the respite volunteers can offer, call or visit Avery at the Mower County Senior Center (507 433-3462).