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Are You A Caregiver for an Older Adult? This Course is For You

By Sherrie Norris

If you are one of many individuals caring for an older adult, you are invited and encouraged to attend an upcoming virtual/online Caregiver Education Course, which is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by the Boone-based High Country Area Agency on Aging, “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” can be attended from the comfort of your home.

This evidence-based class is designed to help caregivers learn coping skills to help them navigate through their often tiring and frustrating caregiving journey.

The six-week course is open to anyone in the agency’s seven-county service area which includes Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Mitchell, Wilkes, Watauga, and Yancey.

The class begins on June 24 at 1 p.m. and will run until August 5.

 According to Amber Chapman, Family Caregiver and Health Promotions Specialist for HCAAA, the classes will help caregivers learn to take better care of themselves while also providing the upmost care for their adult loved one.

“If you provide unpaid care to an older adult, ages 60 and above, and live in one of the aforementioned counties we serve, this is a great opportunity for you,” Chapman said.

The classes are designed to provide helpful tools and skills to do the following:

  • Reduce stress
  • Improve self-confidence
  • Bring more balance to your life through  time management, goal setting and problem solving
  • Better communicate your feelings with loved ones
  • Make tough decisions
  • Locate helpful resources

During the six-week course, Chapman explained, caregivers will receive a copy of “The Caregiver Handbook,” which follows the curriculum and provides additional tools to address more specific caregiver issues.

There is also a new support tool available for all North Carolina  residents/caregivers, Chapman shared, called Trualta. 

The courses are self-directed, which means you can participate at your own leisure, without a time restriction. 

“There are hundreds of courses available, ranging from how to  develop essential skills, learn about health issues, manage care for loved ones, and taking care of yourself. Everything from how to transfer someone out of bed, to relaxation techniques for both caregiver and care recipient.”

This educational academy is free, as well.

For more information on registering for the virtual classes or learning more about the new Trualta program, contact Chapman at the AAA office, located at 468 New Market Blvd. in Boone, by calling  828.265.5434 x113,  828.278.7406 or by visiting the agency website at highcountryaging.org.