Taking time off work to care for elderly relatives doesn’t seem as acceptable at WSU as taking time off to care for children.
That’s one of the findings of a spring 2009 caregiving survey, and it’s the impetus behind a brown-bag lunch series about caregiving that’s sponsored by WSU’s Work/Life Advisory Committee (WLAC).
|
Another event for caregivers The eighth annual Family Caregiver Support Program Conference will be 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, at Bishop Place in Pullman. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The cost is $10 for non-paid caregivers and $35 for others. A catered lunch is included.
The topic, “Packing Your Caregiving Basket,” will address the ingredients caregivers need to maintain personal wellbeing while they provide care and support to family members or others for whom they are responsible.
Keynote speaker Vicki Schmall is executive director and gerontology and training specialist for Aging Concerns, a nonprofit agency in West Linn, Ore.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Council on Aging & Human Services, Gritman Adult Day Health, Friends of Hospice and Family Home Care & Hospice.
|
The first session will be noon-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at these locations: Lighty 405, Pullman; SAC 147, Spokane; West 256, Tri-Cities; CL 117, Vancouver.
“The WLAC would like to raise awareness of eldercare,” said Becky Morton, department manager in Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology and chair of the work/life committee.
In spring 2009, a WSU public relations class ran an eldercare survey at the request of Gretalyn Leibnitz from Excellence in Science & Engineering (EXCELinSE) and in cooperation with the committee.
“One finding was that the environment or stigma towards eldercare is negative, with support within working areas very limited,” Morton said. “Employees in some cases felt their job would be threatened if they were to let their co-workers or supervisors know they were dealing with an eldercare issue.”
Of the 313 respondents, 53 percent expressed interest in an eldercare support group on the Pullman campus.
“Formation of a support group could potentially benefit the entire WSU population by raising awareness of the number of people who are experiencing this phase of life,” Morton said.
The brown-bag lunch series is intended to provide more information and resources and perhaps be the catalyst for a support group.
The inaugural presentation is “Am I a Caregiver? If so
what next?” Participants will discuss such questions as “How do I know if I’m a caregiver?” “What are the expectations?” “Will my role as a family member change?” “What are the boundaries?”
The session will be presented by Suzy McNeilly, volunteer coordinator and training specialist at the Council on Aging & Human Services, a nonprofit agency located in Colfax and serving Whitman County.
Other findings from WSU’s caregiving survey included:
60 percent have dealt with elder care issues in the past three years.
41 percent are dealing with elder care responsibilities.
83.6 percent dealing with elder care are women.
89 percent dealing with elder care are full-time employees.
