The Caregiver Community

Medication Management with Susan Young

This episode of The Caregiver Community offers important information and insights into the “how to’s” of managing medications, whether it’s helping an older loved one or for yourself. In this conversation, listeners will learn what it means to “manage medications,” reasons medication management is important, ways to ensure medication safety, and strategies for helping encourage a loved one to take their meds, even when not inclined to do so.Frances Hall, M.Ed., Founder and Executive Director of ACAPcommunity, and Julie Packer, a 25-year experienced hospice and palliative care nurse who holds a master’s degree in nursing and is the Director of Professional Relations at Carolina Caring, are joined by Susan Young, Director of Clinical Services, United Church Homes and Services, a nurse with 30 years of experience and a master’s degree in nursing administration. Thank you to our sponsor PACE @ Home in Hickory, NC.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Family Dynamics with Alyssa Szymanski Botte

Family dynamics are built on decades of history between parents and children as well as between siblings. Care for an aging parent sometimes prompts unresolved family issues to the surface. While taking care of mom and dad is a wonderful idea, collaborative caregiving can be a minefield of implicit and explicit expectations, assumptions, and history within the family. This podcast will help listeners explore ways to establish a more balanced family unit and learn strategies for strengthening the family as they care for aging parents and other aging loved ones. Frances Hall, Founder and Executive Director of ACAPcommunity and Bob Cain, Vice President of Marketing for Piedmont Home Care in Winston-Salem, NC, and chapter coordinator for ACAP Winston-Salem are joined by Alyssa Szymanski Botte, a licensed clinical mental health counselor at the J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging, affiliated with Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, NC. Alyssa earned double Master’s degrees in Divinity and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest University and has passed boards to be awarded the National Certified Counselor designation, demonstrating that she has met high standards for the practice of counseling. Thank you to our sponsor Pace at Home in Hickory, NC!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Technology for Seniors with January Brown

In this episode of the Caregiver Community, January Brown, Family Caregiver Support Specialist for the Area Agency on Aging, Eastern Carolina Council of Governments, shares insight about current technology for seniors and their families: “low tech” and “high tech” resources and devices; technology that can be particularly supportive for those caring for a loved one with dementia; strategies for encouraging seniors to become comfortable with the resources; and ways to learn about technology applicable to one’s specific situation.ACAP CommunityThank you to our sponsor Pace @ Home in Hickory, NCContact January Brown at the ECCOG hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Mary Berge - ”How to Stay Sane During COVID-19”

Dr. Mary B. Berge a Licensed Clinical Psychologist joins this episode of The Caregiver Community. Dr. Berge talks about how to stay sane during COVID-19, with tips on how to manage this and other stressful times in your life.Dr. Berge has over 25 years of eclectic experience. She received her undergraduate training from The California State University of Long Beach and her Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles. Dr. Berge is highly trained in individual, family and couples therapy, court ordered psychotherapy, general and forensic psychological assessment, as well as fitness for duty and work related evaluations. She works with a variety of populations and diagnostic issues such as depression, anxiety, family problems, relationship issues and trauma experiences (PTSD). She also has notable experience working with first responders and military populations.ACAP Community WebsiteThank you to our sponsor PACE @ HomeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mary Mitchell, Area Agency on Aging (Hickory, NC)

Mary Mitchell, Family Caregiver Support Specialist from the Area Agency on Aging answers the plea, who can help me take care of my loved one? Mary also presents practical tips and insights to the audience.Thank you to our sponsor Pace-at-Home. Find out more about Pace-at-Home services here*Audio note: This recording is from a Zoom presentation*See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Difficult Conversations

In this episode of The Caregiver Community, Dr. Amy Lorek of The Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State University and Jill Curtis of the Greater PA Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association discuss how to approach difficult conversations that adult children are faced with having with their aging parents. The two discuss insights and resources on how to make these conversations easier and productive.   
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Cultural Perspectives in Caregiving

On this episode of Caregiver Community, our hosts are highlighting the experiences of African American caregivers who represent a range of cultural perspectives.  Our guests for this episode include, Rosalind Pugh Scott, Public Health Specialist at the Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health at A and T University in Greensboro, NC and Carolyn Thompson, RN, BSN, Faith Community Nurse with Catawba Valley Health System in Hickory North Carolina. Both of these professionals have worked extensively with caregivers, especially family members caring for their loved ones at home. 
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Community Resources & Support

Host Mark Bumgarner (Executive Director of Adult Life Programs) talks with Mary Mitchell (Family Caregiver Support Specialist with the Area Agency on Aging in Hickory, NC) about helping family caregivers identify and access community resources.
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When a Loved One Goes to the Hospital

A  loved one's advanced years often trigger hospital visits, either at the emergency department or as an inpatient.  Any level of admission can be stressful for the patient as well as her/his family.  This ACAPcommunity podcast offers insights and information related to a variety of issues that often arise when an aging parent or loved one goes to the hospital.  Topics covered include communicating with the parent/loved one and hospital staff, documents that may be needed, various hospital admissions levels, and planning for the discharge.  Frances S. Hall, ACAPcommunity co-founder and executive director, and Susan H. Saylor, franchise owner of Home Instead Senior Care, talk with Jonell Fields, Transitions of Care Manager at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, NC, a registered nurse who is pursuing a master's in Care Coordination and who understands, through personal as well as professional experience, the challenging role of the adult-child caring for an aging parent or another family member caring for an aging loved one.
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When Mom & Dad Leave Home

In this ACAPcommunity podcast, Frances S. Hall, ACAPcommunity Co-founder and Executive Director, and Beth Brandes, Nonprofit/Human Services Organizational Consultant, retired Assistant Director of Catawba County Social Services and daughter of aging parents, talk with Bridget Donnelly, Founder & Owner of Donnelly's Estate Liquidation & Appraisal Services about how caregivers may best help a parent or other loved one prepare to move from the home in which they may have lived for many years. Leaving the corporate world in 2007 to found the estate liquidation and appraisal service, Bridget and her husband wanted to serve the needs of older adults in transition by helping them downsize, cope with the stresses of moving, and shed unwanted possessions. As the daughter of antique dealers, Bridget comes honestly by her passion of helping others deal with their "stuff," in that she tolerated an endless stream of treasures coursing through her home, downsized regularly to accommodate new finds.
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