Help Available for West Side Caregivers

By Robin G. Pilus

The six week program “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” is being offered at the West Maui Senior Center beginning on Wednesday, March 30 from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.  The cost for the entire workshop series is $10 and that includes the manual.

The program is designed to help family caregivers of frail or dependent adults.  Tools, support and resources are provided to help people thrive, not just survive the caregiving experience.

Caregiving can often take physical and emotional tolls on those providing support to their loved ones.  Caregivers often have lower health ratings and high chronic stress from dealing with the care recipients’ cognitive and emotional difficulties.

Caregivers are also subject to high levels of increased sadness, irritability guilt and fatigue.  These feelings, if left unaddressed, can cause chronic depression.

The workshop is provided through a partnership with the Maui County Office on Aging and the UH Cooperative Extension Service Intergenerational and Aging Programs.   For more information, or to register, call Heather Greenwood at 244-3242.