The Striking a Balance: Family Caregiver Conference will bring national, state and local resources meant to strengthen a caregiver’s mental and emotional resiliency for themselves and their loved ones. The five-day conference starts Monday virtually and ends Saturday with in-person sessions at the Norris Center, 2525 W. Anderson Lane No. 365 in Austin.
“Family caregivers’ labor tends to go unnoticed, and undervalued, as they provide for their loved ones while continuing to provide for themselves,” said Jennifer Scott, the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area (AAACAP) director. “Striking a Balance is our chance to recognize their work and help them understand they aren’t alone; there are so many organizations willing support them though their journey.”
The conference is a 23-year joint program of the Capital Area Council of Governments’ AACAP and AGE of Central Texas, which both seek to improve the lives of older adults in Central Texas.
The Saturday in-person sessions will be the main attraction featuring a caregiver resource fair before and after speakers present on topics such as staying organized to relieve stress and anxiety while building empowerment and resilience as a caregiver, as well as how innovative assistive technology can guide a caregiver’s experience. Scott will deliver the conference’s keynote address about the warning signs and causes of dementia as well as discussing behavioral strategies and interventions to become a resilient dementia care provider.
“We all will be touched by a friend, family, or client who will have Alzheimer’s disease,” Scott said. “It’s important that we understand what causes the person with the illness to react in negative and frightened responses and how to potentially avoid or navigate those triggers.”
Caregivers will be able to participate in virtual sessions taking place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday via Zoom. Topics will include advanced care planning, recognizing and combating hoarding behaviors, long-distance caregiving, and how resource hubs can help caregivers. While sessions start early next week, registration for the conference will continue until Wednesday. Register at https://www.capcog.org/divisions/area-agency-on-aging/striking-a-balance/.
AAACAP serves older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers with a variety of services and supports throughout the region. It works to ensure people can maintain their best quality of life while remaining in their home as they age.
AGE is a regional nonprofit that provides education and support to people who are growing older, no matter where they are on that journey. Each year, AGE serves more than 3,000 older adults and caregivers through its primary interrelated programs.
